■ifrtllan?, 

THECENT1NEL. 


v  was  wrote  and  published  imrr.e- 
>.ao,    i  760,  an  !  is  now 
•  late  Cauft-igratiou  ] 


Tf  human  life,  the   tranfitory   nature 
!  klesofthis  prehnt  Hate  of  being 
and    poilVthons  in  it,   are  truths  fo 
.  mw\i  to  every  ihnug'  tful  perfuh.arii  have  fo  ofu  <* 
i  :.':..-     ii  writers  i  1  all  ages,  that  the 

.  .  perhaps  fcarcl.fi  ;id  any  thing  ricifr 
Mafia  with  ftljuc^ance  undertakes 

•  .  .    \  ^i  i'.c!<  is  the  t"r..il: v  of  human  nature,  that 
a  I'w.lvl-  n  Catafcrophe  in  noun  .is  us  the  mind  Uflat- 

k  tVted,  and  devs  not  readily  collet^  thofe 

ible   to  the  occafion,   or  elie   by    having 

&  fuch  rcfl;cVi  >ns.  from  a  conception 

'    jy  mufl  needs  flow  naturally   from  fuel)  calamities 

:e  tir:m,    the    mi::d  through   -ufafc,  may 

conceive   them    when  wanted.     It    is 

.     ce   of  nature    has    always    bsen    t)xc    fame, 

■     itinually  (bunding,   and   understood    by   all  ;    yet 

•  to  fay,  what  we  hear  the  oftcneft,  v\'e  attend  to 

i  1  what   we  ai  e  the   rrnft  certain  of,  we  give 
ft  heed  to  ;   hut  there  are  tirrv-S  when  g>>  n.1  pre,-;-. 
fends  a  loader  fummonsby  th.-*  ftra&?les  of  natorej 
and  proclaim* thofer truths,  whichtho^^h  they  could  not  ' 

•      -:;e  imp  >ri  mcc  of  tiki,  natuft,  yet  may  force 
:  ■ '.     I  by  rojziug  the   pafDons  ;  but  here  frailty  a- 

g-\ia  tak.es> place",  from  extreme  ^houghtleflneTs,  tk'e  pat 
..  rotizcdj  we  n'Oi  <in  to   confufjtVn  and  error  ;   : 
owing  carelcfs  by  a  long  calm, we  ffeei;  by  th.e  i 
•i,   inftsnd  of  the  crimpafs  of  ci-ndei  ilanding, 
'  the  port  of  truth,  aud  negligent  of  thofe  du- 
i  which  tiu  paffi  ms  were  only  designed  to  urge  c  . 
To  poinj  foith  and  f  iroilimife  tliefe  truth',  has  been  the 
well  h  indled  fubje£i  of  the  bell   write**  ;   but   while  na- 
ontip  jcs  to  fu*n  non,  and  t!ie  wifdom   of  her  voice 
any   nuenfure  negle&ed,  the  theme  ennnot  be 
exbaafted,  nor  the  repetition  of  it  neillefs. 
rlltefe    pads,    lhh>    ElTiy  is    prefented    to  the  public 
.  .f  it  pafs  under  the  ju  Igmcnt  of  aide  minus,  they 
jfee  in  any  truth,  and  .at  ler-.fi  n.ny  from  hence 
It  for  nobler  thoughts.";  bende-;, .there  is  a  fat- 
>u  we  ill  feel  in  saving  vent  to  the   thrtfb&jrigs  of 

•  md  in  collecting  to  fpme  order, thofe tjiov.ghts 
:  through  the  mind  or.  fuch  occafirfns. 

then    he  '.he    apology  ;   but  if   fXift    any  one 

ceofui  .*  m?  for  treading  in  thij  unacquftoroed  path 

,  I  ruuft  onittho  difpute  and  (often  ntyfelfh'*- 

,  'he  horrors  of  £  hat  never  to  be  forgotrcn  night,  When 

■    -  •         on  our  hcufc,  and  hud  fo  large  a 

capita!  in   rhns:  I  am   fcnfible  that   painted 

-  re  it  furrow,  and  are  never  to  be  ufed 

•  c    paflions  r.re  fluggpth  j  r.nd  therefore   paf- 
;  ■•  ■'     '•     •■  fi     '  for  description,  which  the  late 

itafknaphe  afror  H,  fhfdl  confine  myfelf  to  thofe 
i  no  holy  jhonld  be  igiqrant  of,  and 
body  nvifl  ne^dsbe  affeclod. 


It  was  then  in  the  firft  Watch's  s  of  the  mnrmng,  v>  hen 
©iti*  bodies  were  f*ft  fettered  with  found  eft  fleep,  that 
x'ie  five  was  firft  difcove'red,  and  the  town  alarmed  with 
ftn  out-cry  ;  the  inhabitants  were  fpeedily  collecfed,  2nd 
though  the  fire  was  found  in  the  cellar  of  a  brick  houfe, 
yet  it  foon  eat  through  its  prifoti ;  the  wind  blowing 
frefh  urged  on  the  flames,  and  with  furprifittg  fury  they 
ravaged  in  fpite  of  all  opposition  or  means  to  fopprefs 
ihsm  ;  the  cinders  and  burning  ruins  were  carried  to  the 
leewardmoft  part  of  the  town,  by  means  of  which  fome 
who  thought  themfelves  in  no  dagger,  were  the  fconeft 
confumed,  and  the  inhabitants  of  them  being  gathered  to 
aftift  at  the  he  id  of  the  fire,fuffered  the  greateftloffes  at 
their,  own  houfes  j  the  like  evil  happened  to  numbers  of 
tradefmen,  whofe  fnops  iverefo  quick  fuel  fofthe  flames, 
that  their  tools  and  ftock  were  .all  confumed  before  they 
could  repair  to  them  ;  in  fome  places  we  heard  the  i 
jhricks  of  mothers  and  children  rouzed  from  their  beds  I 
l>y  the  furrounding  flames,  and  no  man  to. help  ;  here  j 
'we  might  behold  the  aged,  thefick  and  the  bed. rid,  whofe  \ 
(.hdance  from  the  feat  of  tfita  fire  gave  them  hopes  of  fe- 
c/.rity, driven  forth to  Che  inclemencies  of  the  weatheiyiot 
knowing  where  to  fhelter;  there  we  might  feethofs 
whofe  leaft  thoughts  were  placed  on  their  fubftance, 
and  whofe  greateft  anxiety  was  to  fave  their  lives :  Thus 
raged  this  fire,  forcing  its  way  at  the  windows  of  brick 
houfes,  whofe  flatecl  roofs  were  thought  a  fuifi.-ient  de- 
fence, thui  adding  burning  to  burning,  till  it  left  no 
building  unconfumed  where  the  wind  would  let  it  pa fo 
The  natural  horrors  of  the  night  added  terror  to  this 
cataftrophsj  and  at  once  rendered  it  more  difnial  to  the 
eye,  more  grevious  to  be  born,  and  more  difficult  to  be 
faprelfed,  till  the  odious  night  wore  out,  and  with  it 
ranifhsd  the  height  of  our  f^ars ;  hut  not  (i  the  reality 
of  our  forrow,  t!ie  rifen  fun  afiuaged  the  gloom  of  the 
night,  but  gave  us  a  difmal  profpec!  of  its  havock  5  a 
foeftacle  mocking  to  fenfibility  !    Like  the  blafted  trees 


»f  fummer,  or  the  fkeleton  of  fome  delightful  bodv 


yet 


far  lefs  ungrateful  to  the  fight  than  forrowfu!  to  be  re- 
flected on.  Take  a  furvey  then  of  thefe  extended  ruins  , 
here  once  lived  the  loyal  fubjedt,  the  tender  father, 
t.lie  obliging  friend,  awe!  a  goad  commonwealths-man; 
but  their  habitations,  as  with  one  fweep  .of  a  fey  the,  are 
all  cut  off,  and  they  thrown  on  the  charity  o'f  their 
friends  :  And  is  this  all  ?  Alas  there  aieilill  more,  heari- 
jnercing-fcer.es  ;  walk  througli  the  ruin?,  and  take  a 
n-.ore  particular  account ;  here  lived  the  laborious  tradef- 
maaj  on  whofe  daily  induftry  depended  the  fuftenance 
of  a  iHimerous  family  ;  there  lived  one  whofe  citcum- 
ltances  were  ftraitened  with  poverty,  and  diftreffed  by 
ficknei's  ;  here  lived  one  juft  eKiCfgjrig  i\QW  indigence, 
.and  reapingthe  firft  fruits  of  honeft  mduiTry  ;  there  lived 
tbofe  whofe  comfoi  table  circumrtances  afforded  a  refuge 
for  the  needy,  and  an  habitation  fot  the  friendlefs  ;  here 
lived  th:>fe  whofe  fabfiftence  depended  on  their  fituation  i 
for  bafuiefs  ;  fhere  lived  thole  whole  all  was  in  their 
houfes,  and  here  thofe  who  are  ftill  unhappily  aafwera- 
nle  for  all  they  loft  ;  there  lived,  and  there  was  the  fub- 
fiftence  of  th«  aged  and  infirm,  whofe  frugal  induftry  in 
youth,  had  procured  them  the  merited  fupport  of  eafy 
old  age, when  the  body  unftrung  for  labor  can  no  longer  fup- 
port vtfelf- — But  all  cut  off,  their  induftry  appears  no  more, 
and  the  fatigues  of  youth  overtakes  them, when  age  fhould 
be  at  reft  ;  the  children  muft  bug,  and  the  indubious 
rnuft  be  dependent,  the  forehanded  repeat  his  toil  anew, 
and  the  debtor  lay  at  mercv  ;  the  friendlefs  rnuft  feek 
for  other  patrons,  and  they  who  patronized  implore  coin- 
pafuon  ;  the  affluent  aged  muft  forget  their  eafe,  and 
too  foon  lofe  the  bench:  of  that  fabftance  which  they 
could  not  carry  hence. 


E  % 


i*  rt*g  = 


^  P   s  —  '7- 

£  1 1  '•£  -  8 

c   ~      2   c   >  ~ 

-    C    =    <L>  _c     ~     5 
«  .-    s.    «    b  —    — 


3  _y  o  ~   ~ 


~£lf 


3  _y 

"S    O   "5 

—   02 
<   = 


v    ~>   1 

E  7  " 


I       r-     <Z       >. 


?  cx- 
!-.c  worldly 
Kind  them  ? 

"•S  to 
tlS  and 
it.)'  ni- 
ce! tun  atenure  we  hoi 

e  we 

fthe  wind  that  it  did 

I  -An.  With 

fhift  the  fccna   arm  foppofe  - 

:  diftr<  fled  ;    v.  . 

•  prOtc&e*  us !  And  if 

•.  ;   being  Co 

.  ■  •    |f  c  with  fympathy  ?  and 

benevolent  appli- 

ble  ;r:  :it  now  feel  it,  and  the  n.oft 

I    he  who  on  this  oc^a- 

illy  in  the  relief  oftha  imme- 

fl  .tur  I  iffcfelf  with   fon-.c  pe- 

iHible   protection,    or   being    defperate    in 

r.cd,  biJ  a   bold   defiance    to    all   calamity.     Nor 

not    immediately    cxpofed  to  this 

..     m  this  Capital,  f.nmife  that 

■ivcnopyi  :r.  its  general  admonition  ; 'tis  nature's 

el!    1        .11  herald  of  the   Almighty    which 

I iere,  yet  echoes  every  where  ;  'tis 

i  of  that  amazing   fcourge,  brandifhed  by  tlte 

■•  a  guilty  world  ;   the  famu  fire 

at  land  which  it  does  not  confume,  ami 

ition  worfe  than  the  prefent; 

imon  ten?."ts  of  a  ftats  variegated 

'•    natural  v.  c  fhOutd  in 

.re  the  good  of  it  which   We  all   want, 

:.d   to  the  tvih.  of  it,  under 

v. .  d . 

[lit  arifes  !    cap.    it   with   truth   be 

th«l  any    i.i   human  fhape,    though  their  da!',y  fdppar.t 

k  foi  the  CDnfuflonoJ  a  public  calara* 

•rty  of   the    d i ftrefled  ;    or   that  any 

-    beration,  u^on  whatloevei;  pretence,  Ihould  ei- 

ir.teoance  that    relief  to   (he 

all  arfo.ne  time  want,and  which  hu- 

n  ! 

rs,  forrow  on  every   fide 

I  tails  for   ihofe  duties   which    we  he  I   im- 

.riesfu  endeliably  engraven,   th  t  a 

inp  do  we  more  imrnitate  the  ithmor- 

than io doing »€ts  of  Iri-dncfs,"  the  voice  of rcve- 

explicit,  and  fo  plain,  that    Ic    who    run* 

PotTcflions  take  to  thesnfelves  win??,;    to  what 

we  diilrrfs,  perplex  and  corrupt  our 

:alth,  the  po&flion  of  which  is  fo  preca- 

ih  what  f.icc  can  w:  Iwell  with  the  conceit  of  riches 

•  importance,  Ciflai-,   rpprris,  rnd    ty.-ar.- 

-eail.  us  (perhtps  only]  in  fortune,  wl.cn   a 

ur»  may  fet  us  all  on  a  lev;!  }  Hcwmucb  does  it  become 

e  to  drmesn  cuil'elves   with  lu<  h  honefty, 

rfceence,  a  that   if  calamity    ihould  oyer- 

n'ciTcdly  the  worthy  objects  of  need- 

■  Irophe  is  big  with  in(iru<ftion, 

rebavock   produced  from  fo  fmaU    « 

.    we  owe  to  the  community  in 

but  Jevourine  elemnt,  an.i  kA 

fi:cl   fcr  thefasM  ?  for  as  our    pof« 

etc  rjrrtj  ne'e,  the  duty 

'    may  1   b»-  p-i  :.-.itted  totuhc  a 

itioti,   and  point    it   forth  aj  an 

lfr  v  hich  the  path.;  ;  whea  I  i  icofc 

w  hen  the  fir  ft  r  ■  -rf,  i?    not   lun. 

rwge.increift  by  runainp.i^d 

em  the  mind  ;  may   eittiri  |y 

re  which  only  can   ft,nd  ui  ii 

1         fcltC  this  earth,    when  vvc 
'      ''vr  our   liver,   is  rr.any    latelv 


Dr.  Mayhew's 


TWO 


Thankfgiving 

SERMONS 

December  9th-    1762. 


// 

T  W  O 

SERMONS 

On    the   Nature,  Extent  and  Perfe&ion 
of  the  Divine  Goodnefs. 

Delivered  December  9.   1762, 
Being    the 

Annual  THANKSGIVING 

Of  the  Province,  8cc. 

On  PSALM  145.  9: 

Published  with  feme  Enlargements. 

By  Jonathan  Mayhem^  D.  D. 

Pallor  of  the  Weft  Church  in  Bojlon. 

BOSTON:    N.  E. 

Printed  and  Sold  by  D.  and  J.  Kneeland,  oppofitc 
to  the  Probate-Office,,  in  Queen-Street.     1 763. 


Sermon  I. 


Of  the  Nature,  Extent  and  Per- 
fection of  GOD's  Goodnefs. 


PSALM    CXLV.  9. 

THE   LORD  is    good    to     all  ; 
his   tender  Mercies  are   over    al 
Works. 


and 
l  his 


§£0!|O  great  variety  either  of  fubjedt  or  fen- 
timent,  can  well  be  expected  in  fermons 
on  thefe  common  annual  occafions.  A 
minifter  who  has  preached  on  them  fta- 
(gs||  tedly  twice  a-day,  in  the  lame  place,  for 
fifteen  or  fixteen  years  fucceiHvely,wiil  probably  have 
little  or  nothing  that  is  new,  to  gratify  the  curiofity 
of  his  hearers.  Neither  is  this  what  he  ought  chiefly 
to  aim  at,  or  they  to  defire,  at  any  time  j  particularly 
not  on  fuch  occafions  as  the  prefent. 

A 


6         Of  the  Extent  and  PerfeSiion 

A  day  of  religions  thankfgiving,  calls  for  fin  cere 
gratitude,  love  and  praiie  to  almighty  God,  with 
hearty  refolutions,  by  his  grace  aflifting,  to  make  a 
proper  return  to  him  for  all  his  benefits  &  unmerited 
favors,  by  obeying  his  commandments,  and  living  to 
his  glory.  The  divine  goodt-jess  is,  accordingly,  a 
fubjedt  to  which  One's  thoughts  ought  to  be,  and  are 
naturally  turned,  on  fuch  occafions.  This  can  never 
be  an  unfutable  fubjec%  whatever  be  the  more  fpecial 
ground  of  our  thankfulnefs  •,  fince  we  can  enjoy  no 
good,  whether  public  and  common,  or  private  and 
perfonal,  whether  pertaining  to  the  preftnt  life,  .or  to 
the  future,  but  what  flows  from  the  fame  eternal  and 
inexhauftible  fountain  of  divine  goodnefs.  "  Every 
"  good  gift,  and  every  perfect,  gift,  is  from  above, 
"  and  cometh  down  from  the  Father  of  lights,  with 
"  whom  is  ho  variablenefs,  neither  madow  of  turn- 
<c  ing."*  A  clay  of  thankfgiving  cannot,  indeed,  be 
properly  obferved  at  any  time,  unlefs  the  meditations 
of  the  worfhippers  are  in  a  great  meafure,  if  not  prin- 
cipally, employed  upon  this  divine  attribute,  and  the 
manifeftatiGns  of  it  in  and  towards  the  works  of 
God. 

It  is  therefore  fuppofed  that  no  apology  needs  to 
be  made,  for  the  choice  of  fo  common  a  fubjecl  or 
text,  as  that  which  Ijuftnow  mentioned  •,  even  tho' 
1  mould  have  formerly  difcourfed  upon  the  fame 
words,  as  1  may  have  done,  but  am  uncertain.  My 
method  of  treating  the  fubiect  at  prefent,  however, 
will  at  leaff.  be  different  :  Which  is  mentioned  to 
obviate  the  prejudices  of  fome  perfons,  who  cannot, 
perhaps,  at  ail  relifh  a  fermon  the  fecond  time,  which 
they  might  not  have  wholly  difapproved  of  the 
firft. 

Let 
*  James  I.  17. 


of  GO  Us  Goodnefs.  7 

Let  me  add,  that  I  have  a  farther  defign  at  pre- 
fers, in  the  choice  of  this  fubject,  than  merely  to 
lead  you  to  fuch  refle&ions  on  the  divine  goodnefs, 
as  may  be  particularly  iu table  to  this  occafion.  I 
have  it  in  my  view,  by  God's  help,  to  give  you 
fuch  a  reprefenration  and  idea  of  his  goodnefs,  as 
ought  to  be  habitual  to  you  ;  to  animate  your 
piety,  to  fupport  and  rejoice  your  hearts  at  all 
times,  and  to  have  a  powerful  influence  on  your 
whole  lives.  Right  conceptions,  I  mean  rational  and 
truly  fcriptural  ones,  of  God's  adorable  attributes,  are 
the  foundation  of  all  true  religion.  And  thefe  con- 
ceptions, if,  initead  of  floating  in  the  brain,  they  fink 
into  the  heart,  and  are  formed  into  a  fixed  principle 
there,  called  Faith  in  the  language  of  fcripture  ; 
are  really  the  fubftance  of  religion,  and  not  mere- 
ly the  foundation  of  it,  as  being  necelTary  in  order 
thereto.  No  man  that  has  thefe  conceptions  of,  or 
is  thus  rightly  and  habitually  affected  towards  God, 
as  being  what  he  is,  can  pofiibly  live  a  wicked  life. 
He  will  as  certainly  bring  forth  good  things  out  of 
this  good  treafure  in  his  heart,  as  a  good  tree  will 
bear  good  fruit  in  the  feafon.  And  this  will  be  at 
once  delightful  to  himfelf,  and  pleafing  and  honarary 
to  God.  We  mall  then  indeed,  and  not  till  then, 
"  offer  up  fpiritual  iacrilices,  acceptable  to  God  by 
"  Jefus  Chrift  :"  Who  has  himfelf  laid,  "  Herein  is 
"  my  Father  glorified,  that  ye  bear  much  fruit  \  io 
*'  fhall  ye  be  my  difcipies." 

What  has  now  been  obferved  concerning  the  at- 
tributes of  God  in  general,  is  very  particularly  and 
efpeciaily  true  of  his  goodnefs.  A  fcriptural  idea  or 
conception  of,  and  a  firm  faith  in  ic,  habitual  to  the 
mind,  thro5  the  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  grace,  will 
be  at  once  the  fource  of  great  peace  and  comfort  to 
ourfelves,  of  hope  and  confidence  towards  God,  of 
holinefs   in  life,  of  happinefs    in   death,    and  like 


8      Of  the  Extent  and  PerfeElion 

"  a  well  of  living  water  within  us,  fpringing  up  into 
"  everlafting  life  :"  'As  our  Lord  faid  of  "  the  water 
"  which  he  mould  give."    Which  the  evangelift  ex- 
plains by  faying,  "  This  he  fpake  of  the  fpirit  which 
"  they  that  believe  on  hirn  fhould  receive."     Let  all 
then,  not  only  believe,  but,  in  the  language  of  fcrip^ 
ture,  "  tafte  and  fee,  that  the  Lord  is  good  ;"  with- 
out fear  that  they  may  err  by  thinking  him  better, 
or  more  extenfively  good,  gracious  and  merciful  than 
he  actually  is.     This  is  impoffible.     For  if  we  can 
believe  thofe  holy  men  who  fpake,  wrote  and  pro- 
phefied  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghofl  -9  or, 
in  other  words,  if  we  can  believe  God  himfelf,  who 
"  cannot   lie,"   The  Lord    is    indeed    "  good   to 
"  all  ;  and   his  tender    mercies   are  over  all 
"  his    works  !" — And,   furely,  no  One's  ideas   can 
exceed,  no   One's   conceptions   go   beyond,  fuch  a 
goodnefs  and  mercy  as  this  ;  a  goodnefs,  which  is  it- 
ielf  without  meafure,  without  bounds  ;  eternal,  un- 
limited, immutable  goodnefs  •,  and  a  mercy,  that  is 
from  everlafting  to  everlafting.     Your  moft  exalted 
ideas  will  fall  far  below  this  goodnefs.     Man  that  is 
a  worm,  tho'  he  may  have  feme  general  and  juft,  can 
yet  have  no  adequate,  no  perfect  conception  of  it  •, 
which  is  true  of  this,  in  common  with  the  other  at- 
tributes of  God,  which  are  all  infinite  ;  and  therefore 
not  to  be  comprehended  by  the  high e ft  angels,  thofe 
heavenly   minifters,  who,  as  a  flame  of  fire,  do  his 
will    with     alacrity    and     ardor,    hearkening    unto 
the  voice  of  his   word.     Canft  thou  then,  a  mortal 
man,   C4  find  out  the  Almighty  unto  perfection  !"  Can 
thy  conceptions  rife  lo  high  as  his  goodnefs  !   "  It  is 
"  as  high  as  heaven,   what  canft  thou  do  ?  Deeper 
"  than  hell,  what    canft  thou  know  ?  The  meafure 
"  thereof  is  longer  than  the  earth,  and  broader  than 
"  the  fea  !  "  * 

That 
*  Job  XI.  7?  83  9, 


vf  GOD's  Goodmfs*  g 

That  the  true  fcriptural  doctrine  of  God's  good- 
xiefs,  may  be  abufed  and  perverted  •,  that  there  is 
great  danger  of  this  •,  yea,  that  it  is  actually  per- 
verted and  abufed  by  many,  to  the  molt  impious 
and  deftructive  purpofes  ;  all  this,  I  fay,  is  very 
readily  allowed.  But  what  follows  from  hence  ? 
that  it  mould  not  be  preached  to  the  world  ?  But: 
why  then,  preach  the  gofpel  to  the  world  ?  Is  not 
that  perverted  and  abufed  alfo  ?  Indeed  the  gofpel 
itfelf  cannot  be  preached  as  it  ought  to  be  ; — as  jefus 
Chrht  and  his  apofiles  themfelves  preached  it,  with- 
out preaching,  at  the  fame  time,  the  boundlefs  good- 
nefs  of  God.  Wrong  inferences  from,  and  perver- 
lions  of  the  truth,  ought  indeed,  as  far  as  may  be, 
to  be  guarded  againft.  But  the  truth,  efpecially  the 
moft  important  and  glorious  truths,  ought  not  to  be 
even  fuppiefTed,  and  much  leis  denied,  left  bad  mea 
ihould  abufe  them.  The  total  fuppreiiion,  at  leaft 
the  denial  of  them,  in  thofe  whofe  bufinefs  it  is  to 
declare  the  truth,  is  as  criminal,  in  my  opinion,  as 
any  perverfion  of  them  by  their  hearers  could  poffibly 
be.  If  any  will,  thro'  the  wickednefs  of  their  hearts, 
"  wreft"  this  doctrine,,  as  they  fometimes  alio  "  do 
"  the  other  fcriptures,"  it  will  be  "  to  their  own 
"  definition"  But  I  humbly  hope  in  God,  that  ic 
v/ili  not  be  to  mine9  to  preach  any  doctrine  contained 
in  his  holy  word  ;  and  particularly  this,  "  That  the 
"  Lord  is  good  to  all  •,  and  his  tender  mercies. 
"  over  all  his  works  :"  Which,  my  honored  and 
beloved  hearers,  1  mail,  in  his  fear,  or  rather  in 
his  love,  endeavour  more  diftinctly  to  explain 
to  you. 

It  will  b^  proper, 

I.  To  make  fome  obfervacions  On  the  good  nefs 
X)f  God  in  general. 

B  II.  To 


io      Of  the  Extent  and  PerfeEiion 

II.  To  confider  the  extent  and  perfection  of  if, 
according  to  the  reprefentation  in  the  text :  Wherein 
the  Lord  is  declared  to  be  "  good  to  all,"  &c. 

III.  To  take  a  curfory  notice  of  fome  of  the  prin- 
cipal objections  againit  the  divine  goodnefs.     And, 

IV.  To  make  fome  application  of  the  fubjecl:,  by 
Reminding  you  of  the  great  goodnefs  of  God  to  Us, 
both  in  temporal  and  fpiritual  relpecls  -,  and  by  fuch 
inferences  and  reflections,  as  may  at  once  tend  to 
the  honor  of  God,  and  Ihew  what  influence  the  con- 
fideration  of  his  goodnefs  ought  to  have  upon  our 
hearts  and  manners. Let  me  then, 

I.  Make  fome  obfervations  on  the  goodnefs  of 
God  in  general.     And  here, 

i.  By  the  gpodnefs  of  God  is  primarily  intended 
the  kindnefs,  benevolence  and  bounty  of  his  nature  9 
or  goodnefs  as  it  is  an  attribute,  or  property,  inherent 
in,  and  ejfential  to  him.  All  beings  whatfoever,  exirt 
after  fome  determinate  manner,  having  certain  attri- 
butes, qualities  or  properties  inherent  in  them,  which 
make  them  to  be  what  they  are.  This  is  equally 
true  of  all  beings  without  exception,whether  animate 
or  inanimate,  rational  or  irrational,  created  or  in- 
created.  We  cannot  fpeak,  or  think  of  any 
particular  being  or  thing,  but  as  it  exifts,  or  is  fup- 
pofed  to  exift,  under  certain  determinate  properties, 
which  diftinguifh  it  from  all  others.  For  no  man, 
furely,  can  conceive  of  any  thing  abftracted  from,  or 
ftripped  of,  all  its  known  properties,  qualities  and 
attributes ;  which  are  its  efTe/ice,  or  all  that  is  known 
of  it.  Derived,  dependent  beings  are,  indeed,  mu- 
table or  changeable  as  to  their  properties.  They 
may  either  lofe  fome  which  they  originally  had,  or 
receive  others  which  they  had  not  j  and  yet,  in  com- 
mon 


of  GOD's  Goodnefs.  i  % 

mon.  language,  remain  the  fame.  And  whatfoever 
may  be  thus  toft,  or  acquired,  is  confidered  as  an 
accident^  or  a  non-effential  property,  in  con  trad  ifti  net- 
ion  from  thofe  which  cannot  be  loft  without  the  de- 
itrucYion  of  the  being  itfelf ;  and  which  are  therefore 
called  its  ejfential  properties,  as  being  neceifary  to  its 
very  exiftence. 

But  in  God,  of  whom  we  ought  ever  to  think  and 
■fpeak  with  the  profoundeft  reverence  :  In  God,  I 
fay,  there  is  no  fuch  diftincliion,  or  diftnbution  of  at- 
tribute?, into  effential  and  non-efiential,  In  him 
nothing,  whether  power,  knowledge  or  goodnefs,  or 
any  other  quality,  is  accidental  or  adventitious,  ac- 
quired or  derived  from  without."  "  For  who  hath 
*'  firft  given  unto  him  !"  All  is  eternal,  all  effential, 
all  equally  neceffary  :  And  nothing  that  is  fo,  can 
ever  be  loft.  And  if  God  can  neither  acquire  any 
property  or  attribute,  which  did  not  originally  and 
neceffarily  belong  to  him  as  part  of  his  efTence,  nor 
lofe  any  thing  which  did,  he  is  of  confequence,  in  the 
ftricteft  fenfe,  as  the  fcriptures  exprefs  it,  "  without 
"  variablenefs,  or  hhadow  of  turning  y — wholly  and 
abfolutely,  necefTarily  and  immutably  the  fame,  even 
"  from  everlafting  to  everlafting."  Accordingly, 
whenGod  is  fpoken  of  as  good,  the  primary  meaning 
is,  that  he  is  fo  in  his  very  nature,  or  eftentially  good  ; 
as  necefTarily  &  effentially  good,  as  he  is  eternal,wife, 
powerful  or  omniprefent :  And  confequently,  equal- 
ly good  at  all  times,  and  in  all  parts  of  the  univerfe  ; 
tho'  the  appearances,  or  manifestations  of  his  good- 
nefs are,  indeed,  very  various,  as  they  muft  needs  be, 
if  there  is  a  great  variety  of  creatures  produced  in 
time,  to  behold,  or  to  partake  of  his  goodnefs.  But 
of  the  extent  of  God's  goodnefs  hereafter  :  At  pre- 
fent  it  is  confidered  only  in  general,  as  one  of  his 
effential  attribures,  or  as  a  property  of  his  nature, 
equally  underived  and  unalienable  *,  no  borrowed  or 
B  2  precarious 


12      Of  the  Extent  and  PerfeElion 

precarious  excellency,  as  the  goodnefs  of  men  and 
angels  is  iii  them,  but  as  neceiiary  as  his  being.  In- 
deed, One  need  not  fcruple  to  call  it  a  fart  of  God 
himfeif,  only  as  there  may  be  an  impropriety  in  that 
manner  of  expreffion  concerning  the  infinite  God,  in 
all  other  refpe&s  in  general  :  But  it  is  no  doubt  as 
truly  and  as  properly  &  part  of  him,  as  any  other  di- 
vine perfection, 

2.  The  goodnefs  of  God  comprehends  his  btnefi- 
e:ence,  or  his  good  and  bountiful  affs,  as  well  as  the 
goodnefs  of  his  nature.  All  beings  act,  at  lead  in 
general,  according  to  their  refpective  natures,  or  the 
qualities  inherent  in  them.  And  if  the  greatGod  be, 
iuppofed  to  be  effentially  good,  it  is  hardly,  if  at  all 
fuppofeable,  that  he  mould  not  alfo  do  good  :  1  ho' 
to  fay,  it  was  or  is  neceilary  for  him  to  do  it, 
would  be  an  improper  way  of  fpeaking  •,  llnce 
we  very  feldom,  if  ever,  fpeak  of  what  is  done  by 
choice,  or  with  defign,  as  done  neceiTariiy.  Be  that 
as  it  may,  flill  this  diftinclion  betwixt  the  goodnefs 
of  God  in  his  nature,  or  as  it  is  an  attribute  inherent 
in  him,  and  his  goodnefs  as  manifested  in  his  works 
or  doings,  is  by  no  means  an  mfignificant  and  un- 
icriptural  one,  like  many  others  in  common  ufe  ;  and 
more  eipecially  with  reference  to  religious  fubjecls, 
where  fuch  trifling  is  the  mod  inexcufeable.  "  Thou 
"  art  good,"  fays  the  royal  Pfalmift,  "  and  doeft 
cc  good."  1  he  fame  diftin&ion  frequently  occurs  in 
the  holy  fcriptures.  j^\nd  indeed,  what  is  more  na- 
tural,than  from  contemplating  goodnefs  in  its  fource, 
to  defcend  in  our  thoughts  to  the  apparent  effects  of 
it  in  the  works  and  providence  of  God  ?  Or,  on  the 
other  hand,  whrat  is  more  natural,  than  from  confi- 
dering  the  effects  of  divine  goodnefs  and  mercy, 
which  we  either  experience  or  behold, or  rather  both, 
to  afcend  in  our  imaginations  to  that  foun- 
tain of  goodnefs  in  the  divine  nature  itfelf,  from 
whence  they  Row  ?  I'A 


of  GOD'S  Goodnefs.  J  3 

It  is  by  what  creatures  do,  that  we  form  the  beft 
and  fureft  judgment  of  their  natures,  qualities  and 
difpofitions  reflectively.    For  we  have  not  the  faculty 
of  looking  immediately  at  the   heart  or  fpirit,  and 
feeing  what  is  therein,  as  God  does,  clearly,  perfecrly,, 
and  without  the  leaft  difficulty  :   A  faculty,  however^ 
which  fome  orders  of  creatures  above  us,  may  in  a  de- 
gree he  poiiciil-d  of,   tho'  not  of  omnifcience.     Nay, 
we  know  that  God  has,  on  certain  occafion&,  endowed 
even  men  with   this  faculty.     For  the  "  difcerning 
"  of  fpirits"  was  one  of  the  miraculous  powers  con- 
ferred on  the  apoftles,  and,  moil  probably,  on  fome 
other  chriftians  in  the  apoftolic  age.     But,as  was  faid 
before,  we  judge  of  the  internal  characters  and  qua- 
lities of  other  men,  chiefly  at  leaft  by  what  they  do  ; 
by  their  actions  and  conduct.     And  this  is  one  way 
in  which  we  arrive  at  the  knowledge  of  the  divine 
goodnefs.     God  "  doeth   good  y    and  therefore  we 
juilly  infer   that  he  cc  is   good,"  even  effentially  fo. 
This  way  of  reafoning  is  at  once  ccnclufive  and  plain, 
being  accommodated  to  people  of  all  capacities   in 
general.     But  I  am  far  from  faying  or  thinking,  that 
this  is  the  only  method   of  attaining  to  the  know- 
ledge of  God's  goodnefs.     On  the  contrary,  the  di- 
vine goodnefs  admits  of  firict  demonftration,  a  priori, 
to  fpeak  in   the   language  of  metaphyficians.     And 
tho'  this  latter  kind  of  reafoning  &  proof,  is  much  lefs 
adapted  to  the  underilandings  of  people  in  general, 
than  the  former  •,  yet  it  has  its  ufes,  and  is  really  o£ 
vail  importance.    Yea,  in  fome  cafes  it  is  much  the 
beft,  and  moil  convincing,  to  thofe  who  are  accuftom- 
cd  to  fpeculations  of  this  nature.     So   that  tho'  it  is 
not  fo  proper  to  be  introduced  into  a  common  popu- 
lar difcourie,  as  the  other  ;  yet  it  is  by  no  means  to 
be  given  up   as  unfolid,  or   inconclufive.     Which  is 
what  would,  to  be  lure,  highly  gratify  men  of  a  fcep- 
tical  turn  -,  who  might  Matter  themfelves,  that  if  this 
argument  were  out  of  the  wajr,  they  could  find  ob- 
jections 


14         Of  the  Extent  and  Perfection 

je<5lions  enough  againft  the  vifible,  apparent  works  of 
God,  to  diiprove  the  elTentiai  goodnefs  of  his  nature, 
or  at  lead  to  make  others  very  dubious  about  it. 

The  reafon  why  I  do  not  mention  revelation  as  a 
ftridt,  proper  proof  of  the  divine  goodnefs,  is  this  : 
That  none  who   believe  the  fcriptures  pretend  to 
doubt  of  it,  however  wrong   their  conceptions,   in 
fome  refpecls,  may  be  concerning  it.     And  to  pro- 
duce the  teftimony  of  fcripture  in  the   cafe,  could 
anfwer  no  end  with  thofe  who  difbelieve  and  deny 
their  authority.     It  may  be  added,  that  whofoever 
believes  any  thing  to  be  true,  upon  the  teftimony  or 
authority  of  God  fpeaking  in   his  holy  word,  pre- 
fuppofes  him  to  be  good,  and  to  be   before  proved 
fo,  by  arguments  of  another  kind.     For  veracity,  or 
truth,  is  certainly  one  branch  of  goodnefs.     If  God 
were  not  good,  he  might  deceive  his  creatures,  and 
delight  therein.     He  that  fuppofes  any  thing  is  actu- 
ally true,  merely  becaufe  God  hath  declared  it,  "  hath 
"  let  to  his  feal  that  God    is  true."  He  takes  it  for 
granted    herein,  that  God    himfeif  is  a  moft   faith- 
ful, and  therefore  a  good  being  ;  not  a  falfe  or  evil 
One,  or  One  of  a  jufrly  fufpecled  character.     For, 
upon  the  impious  fuppofition   of  his  being  fo,  who 
could  rely  upon — who  believe  his  own  word  ?  even 
tho'  the  "  Lord  fpake  face  to  face  unto  him,  as  a 
man  fpeaketh  unto  his  friend  £  and  as  he  is  faid  to 
have  fpoken  to  Mofes.  * 

3.  The  goodnefs  of  God,  as  it  is  a  property  of  his 
nature,  fhould  always  be  coniidered  as  infeparabiy 
connected  with  his  wifdom  •,  and  regulated  thereby 
in  all  its  operations.  It  is  not  to  be  confidered  as  a 
fort  of  blind  inflincl,  or  good-nature,  detached  from 
reafon  and  right,  or  a  regard  to  fitnefs  and  propriety. 
The  goodneis  of  God  is  not  limply  a  difpofition  ia 

hi$ 
f  Exod.  XXXIII.  II. 


of  GOD's    Goodnefs.  13 

nis  nature  to  do  good,  uncontrolled,  undirected  by 
wifdom  i  fimilar  to  what  is  obferved  in  fome  of  his 
creatures  in  certain  inftances.  Infinite  wifdom,  or 
the  moft  consummate,  the  mod  perfect  reafon,  is  in- 
diiTolubly  connected  with  goodnefs  in  the  great  God  : 
And  the  former  is,  undoubtedly,  if  One  may  fo  ex- 
prefs  it,  the  leading,  regulating,  and  all-directing 
attribute  of  his  nature  -,  in  fuch  fort,  that  there  are 
no  exertions  of  mere  power,  or  of  mere  goodnefs  and 
benevolence  in  him  ;  but  every  thing  rhat  is  done 
by  him,  is  done  according  to  rhe  immutable  rule  of 
wifdom,  or  perfect  reafon  ;  of  which  He  himfelf,  and 
only  He,  is  in  all  cafes  an  adequate  judge.  If  God 
be  indeed  an  infinitely  knowing,  reafonable,  and  wife 
being  \  it  is  furely  no  prefumption  to  fay,  and  even 
a  duty  firmly  to  believe,  that  he  never,  in  any  cafe 
whatever,  acts  unreafonably,  or  unwifely.  And  if 
this  be  the  cafe,  as,  I  fuppofe,  is  univerfally  acknow- 
ledged in  words  at  leaft,  by  all  profeffed  chrifhans  ; 
what  was  faid  above,  undeniably  follows  ;  viz.  that: 
none  of  the  actions  of  the  great  God,  are  merely  and 
folely  the  exertions  either  of  power  or  of  goodnefs  -s 
but  all  conducted  by  a  wifdom  that  cannot  err. 

It  is  well  for  the  creatures  of  God,  for  the  whole 
creation,that  this  is  the  cafe.  For,in  fo  wide-extend- 
ed, not  to  fay  boundiefs  an  univerfe  of  things,  fo 
various  and  complicated,  what  might  be  the  confe- 
quence — 1  fpeak  it  with  reverence  and  awe — 
what  might  be  the  confluence  of  omnipotence  ex- 
erting and  giving  a-loofe  to  itfelf, without  wifdom  to 
direct  its  operations  !  Yea,what  might  be  the  confe- 
quence,  if  goodnefs  or  benevolence  itfelf,  accom- 
panied with  irrefiftible  power,  but  not  under  the 
conduct  of  wifdom,  were  to  exert  itfelf  in  the  ma- 
nagement of  fo  various,  extended  and  complicated  a 
fyftem  ?  What  diforders  and  confufions  ?  what 
dreadful  confequences  might  naturally  be  expected 

from 


16     Of  thz    Extent  and  Perfection 

from  the  exertions  of  omnipotence  without  wifdom-, 
even  tho'  it  were  accompanied  by  fuch  a  blind,   iii- 
Jtinctive  benevolence  as  that  fpoken  of  above  ?  What 
mifchiefs  and  miferies  do  we  often  fee  produced  in 
this  world,  by  weak  mortal  men  that  mean  well,  but 
have  little  or  none  of  that  wifdom  which  is  "  profi- 
table  to  direct,"  to  regulate    their  benevolent    in- 
tentions ?   How  often  do  very  kind   parents  deflroy 
their  children,  even  by  their  kindnefs  itfelf,  for  want 
of  reafon  and  difcretion  proportioned  thereto  ?   What 
prodigious  mifchiefs  are  fometimes  produced,  almoit 
to  the  deftruction  of  whole  countries,  kingdoms  and 
mighty  empires,  by  well-intention'd  governors,  kings 
and  emperors,  who  really  jegard  the  people  under 
them  with  a  paternal  affection  •,  but  yet  want  wifdom 
adequate  to  their  high  ftations,&the  bufinefs  of  ruling 
and  directing  nations  ?  From  hence  we  may  in  feme 
nieafure  conjecture,  if  we  are  not  afraid  even  to  think, 
what  might  be  the  confequence  of  boundlefs  power, 
tho'  accompanied  with  univerfal  benevo!ence,but  not 
adequate  wifdom,  exerting  itfelf  at  once  thro'out  the 
unherfe.     The  very  tho't  is  fufneient  to  fill  One  with 
dread  and  terror  ! 

It  may  admit  of  fome  doubt,  whether  the  effects 
of  benevolence  thus  exerted  by  an  almighty  Being 
deftitute  of  wifdom,  might  not  be  near  as  fatal  to 
the  univerfe  in  the  end,  as  pofitive  malevolence,  ill- 
will  and  cruelty,  exerted  after  the  fame  manner.  For 
even  in  this  latter  cafe,  fome  good  might  polfibly  be 
done,  contrary  to  the  intention  of  the  doer  ;  as  evil 
would  certainly  be  done  contrary  thereto,in  the  former 
cafe.  I  do  not  indeed  afTert,  that  the  mifchiefs  pro- 
duced on  the  former  fuppofition,  would  be  equally 
great  with  thofe  done  in  the  latter.  But,  that  they 
mud  needs  be  very  great  and  terrible,  is  obvious. 
What  would  become  of  laws,  orcter  and,  in  a  word, 
of  good  government,    without  wildorrt  to  conftitute 

them 


of  GOUs  Goodnefs.  17 

them  at  firft,  and  to  fupport  them  afterwards  ?  Every 
thing  of  this  fort,  on  which  the  good  of  che  univerfe 
efTen dally  depends,  mult  foon  come  to  an  end,  if  he 
that  rules  it  were  not  wife,  as  well  as  good  and  power- 
ful :  Or,  which  comes  nearly  to   the  tame   thing,  if 
he  did  not  govern  wifely.     For  there  is  no  material 
dirTerence,as  to  the  effects  and  confequernces,  in  thefe 
fuppofed  cafes,  betwixt  not  having,  and  not  exercifing 
wifdom.     What  is  not  ufed,  is  as  nothing  :  He  thac 
has  wifdom,  but  does  not  employ  it  in  what  he  does 
(tho'  this  very  fuppufition  feems  abfurd  in  itfelfj  will 
act  altogether  as  wrong  and  irrationally,  as  if  he  had 
none.     And  a  blind  man  will  find   his  way  thro*  an 
unknown  country,  altogether  as  well  as  one  that  has 
good  eyes,  but  will  not  ufe  them.     We  have  there- 
fore, as  was  intimated  before,  the  greater!:  reafon  to 
rejoice,  when  we  reflect  that  the  goodnefs  of  almighty 
God,  is  neceffarily  and  immutably  connected  with 
unerring  wifdom  •,  always  directed  thereby  in  its  ope- 
rations ;  never  exerted  without  it,  and  much  lefs 
contrary  to  it  \  which  it  were  blafphemous  to  flip- 
pofe.     It  is  becaufe  the  Lord  of  hofts  is  fo  "  wonder- 
"  ful  in  counfel,"  that  he  is  fo  "  excellent  in  work- 
"  ing."  * 

4.  The  goodnefs  of  God  is  what  all  men  are  nearly 
toncerned  and  interefied  in.  It  is  perhaps,  ftnctly 
fpeaking,  the  moil  amiable  of  the  divine  perfections ; 
fince  God  may  be  loved  on  account  of  it,  without 
particularly  taking  his  other  attributes  into  confide- 
ration,  in  a  manner  in  which  he  cannot  be  loved  for 
any  of  the  reft,  without  the  confideration  of  this. 
Even  wicked  men  may  think  with  fome  fort  of  plea- 
fure,  on  that  goodnefs  of  God  which  they  abufe  ; 
tho'  the  thought  of  his  other  attributes  rather  mi- 
nifters  difquietude  and  terror  to  them,  than  comfort 
and  delight.  If  it  were  proper  to  make  any  com- 
C  panfon 

f  Ifai.  28.  29. 


1 8       Of  the  Extent  and  Perfection 

parifon  betwixt  the  divine  attributes,  or  to  fay  that 
one  of  them  is  more  glorious  than  another,  mankind 
in  general,  to  before,  would  not  hefitate  much  at 
calling  this  the  moil  glorious.  In  a  relative  con- 
fideration  of  them,  this  might  not,  perhaps,  be  juftly 
liable  to  any  exception.  Indeed,  God  himfelf  leems 
to  allow  us  toconfider  his  goodnefs  in  this  view  •,  or 
as  having,  with  reference  to  us,  a  peculiar  prehemi- 
nence  and  glory.  For  divine  revelation  dwells  much 
longer  upon,  and  treats  far  more  fully  and  diftinctly 
of  this  attribute  of  God,  and  the  various  manifefta- 
tions  thereof  in  his  works  and  providence,  and  par- 
ticularly in  the  redemption  of  the  world  by  his  Son, 
than  of  any  of  his  other  perfections,  tho'  all  glorious 
and  adoreable.  It  is  alio  worthy  of  particular  obfer- 
vation,  as,  indeed  it  has  often  been  remarked,  that 
when  Mofes  befought  God  to  manifeft  his  glory  to 
him,  faying,  "  I  beleech  thee,  fhew  me  thy  glory  •," 
the  anfwer  which  he  received  was,  "  I  will  make  all 
"  my  goodnefs  pais  before  thee,  and — will  be  gracious 
"  to  whom  I  will  be  gracious,  and  will  fhew  mercy  on 
<c  whom  1  will  fhew  mercy.55  *  By  which  anfwer  it 
is  plainly  intimated,  that  the  glory  of  God  does  in 
an  eminent  manner  confiil  in  his  goodnefs,  grace  and 
mercy  :  So  that  the  prayer  of  Mofes  would  be  mod 
effectually  granted,  by  God's  giving  him  a  manifefla- 
tion  hereof. 

The  eternity,  immenfity  &  immutability  of  God  ; 
his  infinite  knowledge,  wifdom  and  boundlefs  power  ; 
his  perfect  purity,  holinefs,  and  punitive  juftice  ;  tho* 
all  adoreable  attributes,  yet  being  confidered  inde- 
pendently of  his  bounty,  clemency  and  mercy,  rather 
aftonifli  and  confound,  than  pleafe  or  delight  us,  by 
appearing  amiable  to  us  :  Elpecially  when  we  con- 
fider,  not  only  our  own  weaknefs,  dependence,  and 
abfolute  need  of  continual  fupport  and  fuccour  from 

the 
*  Exvd,  33.  i83  19. 


of  GOD's    Goodnefs*  19 

the  guardian  care,  and  kind  providence  of  God,  but 
our  fmfulnefs  and  guilt,  which*  at  once  render  us  un- 
worthy thereof,  &  naturally  excite  dirtruft,  diffidence 
and  fear  in  us.     What  confolarion  can  weak  and  fm- 
ful   creatures    draw  from    a  consideration  of  thofe 
other  divine  attributes  alone,  or  independently  of 
goodnefs  and  mecy  ?  They  rather  infpire  fuch  crea- 
tures with  terror  and  amazement,  than  with  comfort, 
hope  and  joy.     Whereas,  being  confidered  as  infepa- 
rably  connected  with  goodnefs,  which  is  equally  effen- 
tial  to  the  divine  nature,  and  exercifed  towards  all 
the  works  of  God  ;  thofe  otherwife  formidable  attri- 
butes, are,  in  a  great  degree,  irripped  of  their  terror. 
And  not  only  fo,  but  goodnefs  does,  if  One  may  fa 
exprefs  it,communicate  its  own  amiable  luflre  &  glory 
to  them  :  So  that  even  we  guilty  creatures,  if  peni- 
tent, may  contemplate  them,  as  well  as  goodnefs  it- 
felf,  with  delight  and  joy  •,  as  being  a  firm  fupport 
to  our  hope,  and  fuch  a  foundation  of  fecurity  and 
happinefs  to  us,  as  even  the  mofl  perfect  goodnefs 
could  not  be  without  them.     The  divine  goodnefs, 
therefore,  being  fo   interelting  a  fubjeft  to  us  •,  the 
ground  of  all  our  hopes  ^as  to  time   and  eternity,  it 
demands  a  very  particular   attention.     And   let  me 
add,  that  it  would  be  very  unnatural,  as  well  as  im- 
pious  in  any,  to  reftrairi,  limit  or  confine  it,  in  a 
manner  not  warranted  either  by  reafon  or  the  holy 
fcriptures.  * 

5.  It  mould  be  obferved  that  the  goodnefs  of  God, 

when  fpoken  of  in  a  general  way,  comprehends  many, 

if  not  ftridtly  all   of  his  particular  moral  attributes  : 

Such,  for  example,  as  are  diftinguiihed  by  the  terms 

C  2  mercy, 

*  It  is  10  or  12  Years  fince  the  Author  faw  the  learned  Dr. 
S.  Clarke's  Sermon  on  the  Goodnefs  of  God  :  But,  if 
he  miftakes  not,  there  is  a  PafTage  in  it,  of  which  fome 
Things  in  this  Paragraph  may  appear  an  imperfect  imi- 
tation. 


20     Of  the  Extent  and  PerfeEtion 

mercy,  clemency,  kindnefs,  companion,  pity,  grace, 
patience,  forbearance,,  long-fuffenng,  and  even  juftice 
itfelf.     That  all  thcie,  except  the  lait-mentioned,  are 
oiilyfo  many  different  branches  or  modes  ofgoodnefs, 
denominated  refptctively  with  reference  to  the  perlbns 
to  whom,or  the  particular  manner  and  circumftances 
in  which,  God  manifefts  that  goodnels   to  his  crea- 
tures, which  in  him  is  one  fimple,  uniform  principle  : 
That  this  is  true,  1  lay,  is  very  eafy  to  fee  ;  and,  in- 
deed, fo  generally  allowed,  that  it  feems  quite  need- 
leis  to  fpend  time  in  the  proof  of  it.     But  there  are 
many  perlbns,  who  fee.n  to  conceive  and  fpeak  quite 
differently  of  the  juftice  of  God  ;  as  if  it  were  not  a 
mode  or  branch    of  goodnefs,   and  comprehended 
therein,  but   an  attribute  diftinct  from,  if  not   in  a 
degree  repugnant  to  goodnels.     Thefe  different  con- 
ceptions of  the  matter,  tho'  they  may  at  fir  ft  appear 
immaterial,  are  yet  refpectively   followed  by  confe- 
quences   of  a  very  important  nature.     I  fhall  there- 
fore very  briefly  explain,  and  endeavour  to  eftablifh, 
that  lentiment  refpecting  this  point,  which  was  hinted 
above.     This  1  would  do  at  once  with  all  reverence 
to  God,  and  with  all  due  refpect  to  thofe,  who  have 
different  conceptions  of  the  matter. 

And  here  it  may  be  obferved, 

(r.)  That  in  a  wife  and  good  earthly  parent,there 
is  really  no  fuch  distinction  as  that  which  has  been 
mentioned,  betwixt  goodnefs  and  juftice,  not  even 
in  punifhing  \  but  the  former  includes  the  latter,  as 
being  one  mode  or  manner  of  exerting  itfelf,  and  at- 
taining its  end.  For  example  -,  why  does  a  truly 
wife  &  good  parent,  when  under  the  influence,  not  of 
mere  paflion  and  refentment,  but  of  reafon  only, 
correct  his  children,  or  punifh  them  for  their  faults  ? 
Is  it  not  in  order  to  reform,  and  do  them  good  ? 
— or  at  leaft  with  a  view  to  the  benefit  of  his  other 

children, 


of  GO  Us  Goodnefs.  2 I 

children,  or  thofe  of  the  houfhold  ;  that  they 
may  be  kept  under  due  fubjection,  and  reftrained 
from  the  like  evil  and  hurtful  practices  ?  In  this 
cafe,  inflicting  adequate  punifhment,  or  fuch  as  is 
adapted  to  the  good  ends  propofed,  is  plainly  good- 
nefs. Tho*  it  is,  and  may  properlv  be  called  juttice  ; 
yet  it  is  fo  far  from  being  either  oppohVc  to,  or  any 
thing  really  diftinct  from  kindnefs  and  goodnefs,  that 
the  parent  would  be  lets  kind  and  good  than  he  is, 
if  he  did  not  punifh.  If  any  parent  examines  him- 
felf,  upon  what  principle  he  corrects  his  children,  he 
will  either  find  that  it  is  this  of  goodnefs,  or  elfe  find 
reafon  to  cenfure  himfelf  as  having  been  actuated 
therein  by  fome  impotent,  irrational  and  unjuftifiable 
paflion  ;  mere  cruelty,  anger,  refentment,  or  the  like. 
And,  indeed,  the  frail  "  fathers  of  our  flefti,"  tho'  in 
general  kind  and  good,  may  yet  fometimeshave  cor- 
rected us  thus,  "  after  their  own  pleafure,"  or  from 
a  fudden,  tranfient  refentment,  rather  than  with  any 
formal  and  poflitive  good  defign.  In  which  cafe,they 
muft  needs  cenfure  themfelves  upon  reflexion,  as 
having  acted  unreafonably.  So  that  in  a  good  pa- 
rent, as  was  faid  before,  there  is  no  fuch  quality  as 
juftice,  really  diftinct  from  goodnefs  ;  not  even  in 
punifhing  :  For  it  is  goodnefs  itfeif  that  gives  the 
blow. 

(2.)  The  cafe  is  the  fame  in  civil  government. 
The  mod  abfolute  fovereign  on  earth,  fuppofing  him 
to  be  wife  &  good,  makes  no  laws  but  fuch  as  he  at 
lead  thinks  for  the  benefit  of  his  fubjects  ;  whom  he 
alfo  confiders  as  his  children,  to  be  governed  by  him 
for  their  good.  Neither  does  he  inflict  any  punifh- 
ments,  but  what  he  confiders  as  needful  for  the  fup- 
port  of  his  government  ; —  if  not  for  the  particular 
good  of  thofe  that  fuffer,  as  in  capital  cafes,  yet  for 
the  good  of  his  people  in  general,  by  way  of  example 
and  terrorjthat  good  order  may  be  preferved.    So  that 

evea 


2  2     Of  the   Extent  and  Perfe&ion 

even  in  this  cafe  of  excifion,  or  capital  punifhmenf, 
the  juflice  of  the  fovereign  is  no  real  quality  in  him, 
diftinct  from  goodnefs.  It  is  goodnefs,  or  a  regard  to 
common  good,that  takes  offthe  head  of  thetraitor,that 
hangs  the  robber  or  murderer,&  that  "punifhes  other 
evil-doers  :?'  Without  which,  the  fovereign  would 
"  bear  the  fword  in  vain  •,"  i.  e.  would  not  anfwer  the 
good  and  important  end  of  his  bearing  it,  the  prefer- 
vation  of  order,  public  good  and  happinefs.  There 
is  not  the  leafl  color,  in  this  cafe,  for  fuppofing  any 
diflinction  betwixt  goodnefs  and  juflice  in  the  prince  ; 
only  as  the  former  is  a  general  principle,  which  com~ 
prehends  the  latter  as  one  particular  mode  of  it. 
And  the  earthly  prince,  in  the  fenfe  of  all  mankind, 
degenerates  into  a  tyrant,  if  he  punifhes  his  fubjects 
for  no  better  end,  than  to  gratify  his  own  anger  and 
refentment.         This  leads  me  to  obferve, 

(3.)  That  truly  wife  and  good  parents  and  prin- 
ces, always  overlook  or  pardon  the  faults  or  their 
children  and  fubjects  refpectively,  whenever  they  fup- 
pofe  this  may  be  done,  as  in  fome  cafes  it  may,  con- 
fitrently  both  with  the  good  of  the  offenders  them- 
felves,  and  of  others  ;  or  both  with  private  and  com- 
mon good.  In  thefe  cafes,  what  wife  and  good  pa- 
rent, or  fovereign  prince  of  the  fame  character,  thinks 
himfelf  bound  in  juftice  to  punifli  the  tranfgreffor  ? 
nay,  does  not  think  himfelf  obliged  in  reajbn  to  re- 
mit the  fault,  or  to  fhew  clemency  ?  Would  it  not  be 
apparently  contrary  to  true  goodnefs,  in  thefe  fup- 
pofed  cafes,to  punifh  for  no  good  end,either  with  re- 
fpect  to  the  delinquent  himfelf  or  others  ?  Would 
not  this  be,  to  give  another  pain  and  forrow  merely 
for  the  fake  of  doing  it  ?  And  what  is  this  called  a- 
mongft  men,  but  cruelty  ?  which  is  in  truth  contrary 
both  to  goodnefs  and  juflice.  It  being  therefore 
manifefl,  that  in  all  wife  and  good  earthly  parents 
and  fovereigns,  juflice  even  in  punifhing,  is  only  a- 

nother 


of  GOD's  Goodmfs*  23 

nother  name  for  goodnefs  in  one  particular  view,  or 
under  a  certain  modification  of  it,  inftead  of  being 
either  oppofite  to,  or  any  thing  really  diftinct  in  na- 
ture from  goodnefs  itfelf  :  This,  I  fay,  being  evident 
and  undeniable,  I  proceed  to  obferve, 

(4.)  That  the  great  and  bleffed  God  is  pleafed, 
in  his  word,  to  reprefent  himfelf  to  us  very  often  un- 
der the  character  both  of  a  Father  and  of  a  King. 
For,  "  There  is  One  God  and  Father  of  all,  who  is 
"  above  all,  and  thro'  all,  and  in  you  all,"  faith  the 
apoflle.  "  We  are  the  Offspring  of  God,"  faith  the 
the  fame  apoflle  :  And  "  of  Him  the  whole  family 
"  in  heaven  and  in  earth  is  named." — The  title  of 
King,  is  one  of  his  ufual  titles  in  fc.ipture.  He  is 
called  emphatically  by  our  Saviour,  "  the  greatKing" 
He  is  ftiled  the  "  King  of  heaven,"  as  well  as  "  King 
"  over  all  the  earth."  And  in  my  context,  the  "  glo- 
"  ry  of  his  kingdom"  is  fpoken  of  ;  which  is  an 
"  everlafling  kingdom." 

(5.)  Though  the  analogy  will  not  hold  in  all  re- 
fpects  betwixt  an  earthly  parent  or  king,  and  our 
"  Father  who  is  in  heaven,"  or  that  great  "  king 
"  eternal,  immortal,  invifible,  the  only  wife  God," 
who  hath  "  prepared  his  throne  in  the  heavens  ;* 
yet  there  can  be  no  doubt  in  general,  but  that, 
when  theie  titles  are  given  to  God  in  his  word, 
the  defign  is,to  reprefent  him  under  the  character  of 
the  wifeft  &  beft  Father,  the  wifeft  &  beft  King  ;  not 
that  of  an  unreasonable,  unnatural,  and  cruel  parent  -9 
not  that  of  an  unwife  and  unreafonable,  a  cruel  and  un- 
merciful king.     None  can  doubt  of  this. 

(6.)  We  may  therefore  conclude  from  hence, 
That  that  wifdom  and  goodnefs,  which  are  very  im- 
perfect in  the  beft  earthly  parents  and  kings,  are  in 
perfection  in  the  bleffed  God.     And  that  he  governs 

his 


24        Of  the  Extent  and  PerfeEiion 

his  great  family,  his  univerfal  kingdom,  according 
to  thofe  general  rules  and  maxims  which  are  in  them- 
felves  moft  wife  and  good  ;  fuch  as  the  wifeft  and 
left  kings  govern  by  ;  only,  as  was  intimated  before, 
in  an  infinitely  more  perfect  manner.  From  whence, 
1  think,  (tho'  it  doth  not  become  a  mortal  man  to 
fpeak  confidently  in  fuch  cafes)  that  it  follows, 

(7.)  That  there  is  not  really  in  the  great  and 
glorious  God,  any  fuch  diftinclion  betwixt  goodnefs 
and  juftice,  as  has  been  objected  againft.  For  if  any 
earthly  parent  or  king  mould  act  according  to  what 
that  diftinction  fuppofes,  and  fo  punifh  his  children 
or  fubjects,  not  as  goodnefs  directs,  or  without  a 
pofitively  good  and  valuable  end,  fuch  parent  or 
king  would  be  reckoned  therein,  neither  wife  nor 
good,  nor  even  juft,  but  unreafonable  and  cruel 
What  ground  is  there  then  to  imagine,  that  there  is 
any  fuch  kind  of  juftice  in  God,  diitinct  from,  or 
rather  oppofite  to  goodnefs  ?  Does  reafon  fuggeft 
any  fuch  thing  ?  No.  Do  the  holy  fcriptures  affert 
or  fuppofe  it  ?  No  :  nothing  like  it.  There  is  there- 
fore, great  ceafon  to  think,  that  this  is  a  diftinction 
only  of  man's  making.  There  can,  I  think,  be  no 
conceivable  fitnefs,  propriety  or  congruity  in  inflicting 
punifhment,  independently  of  an  end  to  be  anfwered 
thereby.  Thofe  terms,  when  ufed  with  reference 
to  punifhing  tranfgreffors,  fuppofe  and  refer  to  fome 
end  •,  otherwife  they  are  unintelligible.  And  this  end 
muft  be  either  pofitively  bad,  or  pofitively  good  : 
For  what  is,  in  every  reipect,  indifferent,  can  be  no 
end  worthy  even  of  human,  much  lefs  of  divine  wif- 
dom.  And  to  fay  that  the  all-wife  and  good  God, 
has  a  bad  or  evil  end  in  any  thing  which  he  does, 
were  impious  indeed  !  The  conclufion  from  which 
premifes,  is  too  obvious  to  need  mentioning. 

(8.)  That 


of  GO  Us  Goodnefs.  25 

(8.)  That  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  chafteneth 
#nd  punifheth  his  children  in  this  world  for  their  good* 
is  evident  from  numberlefs  paffages  in  fcripture.    And 
there  is  one  which  deferves  a  more  particular  attention 
here,  on  account  of  the  reference    therein   to   the 
conduct  of  earthly  parents,  who  fometimes  correct 
their  children  only  for  their  own  "  pleafure  :"  Where- 
as God  corrects  his  for    their  "  profit" — "  Whom 
"  the  Lord  loveth  he  chafteneth — We  have  had  fa- 
"  thers  of  our  nefh,  which  co  reded  us,  and  we  gave 
^c  them  reverence  :  Shall  we  not  much  rather  be  in 
4C  fu  ejection  unto  the  Father  of  fpirits,  and  live  ?  For 
"  they  verily  for  a  few  days  chaltened  us  after  their 
cc  own  pleafure  ;  but  He  for  our  profit >  that  we  might 
"  be  partakers  of  his  holinefs — Afterward  it  yieldeth 
*c  the  peaceable  fruit  of  righteoufnefs.*  "     No  Man 
will  deny,  but  that  God  is  at  once  juft  and  good  in 
thefe  chaftenings.     Goodnefs   and  juftice    in  him, 
therefore,  are  not  to  be  confidered  as  oppofites :  They 
may,  in  all  other  cafes  without  exception,  be  co-inci- 
dent ;  the   latter  being,  perhaps,  only  a  particular 
modification  of  the  former,  and  tending  to  pofitive 
good,  at  lead  the  public  or  common. 

(9.)  Shall  we  ? — can  we  really  fuppofe,  That 
He  who  is  good  to  all,  and  whofe  tender  mercies  are 
over  all  his  works,  ever  punifhes  his  creatures  with- 
out any  good  end,  either  with  refpect  to  themfelves, 
or  to  the  other  members  of  his  houfhoid  and  king- 
dom ?  Would  .not  this  be  in  effect  making  his  crea- 
tures miferable,  either  for  no  end  at  all,  or  a  pofitive- 
ly  bad  and  e\il  one  ?  Would  not  this  be,  what  is  al- 
ways called  unreafonable  and  cruel  amongft  men  ? 
To  fay  that  the  infinitely  wife  and  good  God,  punifhes 
any  of  his  creatures  merely  for  his  own  glory,  with- 
out any  regard  to  the  preservation  of  order  and  hap- 
pinefs,  and  even  contrary  to  the  common  good  of 
D  thofe? 

*  Heb. 


2  6        Of  the  Extent  and  PerfeEtion 

thdfe,  to  whom  he  was  pleafed  to  give  being,  appears 
to  me  at  bed  very  irrational.  For  what  glory  could 
poifibly  redound  to  any  being  by  acting  unrea- 
sonably, or  contrary  to  the  dictaes  of  true  goodnefs  ? 
It  is  peculiarly  abfurd  to  fuppofe  that  He,  who  ac- 
counts goddnejs  his  glcry,  mould  aim  at  advancing  it 
by  jucb  a  conduct  ! 

(10.)  Tke  great,  blefTed  and  glorious  God,  is  in- 
deed an  abfolute  Sovereign  :  He  has  an  indifputable 
right  as  well  as  power,  to  difpoie  of  all  his  creatures 
according  to  his  own  pleafure.  But  it  ought  not  to 
be  inferred  from  hence,  that  he  is  an  arbitrary  being, 
in  that  ill  fenfe  in  which  the  word  arbitrary  is  ufed 
refpecYmg  tyrants  ;  implying  that  they  govern  in  art 
unreafonable,  linjuft  and  cruel  manner.  Tho'  God 
is,  in  the  higheft  fenfe,  an  abfolute  fovereign  •,  yet  in 
that  ill  fenfe,  he  is  not  certainly  an  arbitrary  Being  ;  and 
it  were  blafphemous  to  think  him  fo.  /The  bleffed 
God,  tho'  omnipotent,  tho'  over  all,  and  not  accoun- 
table to  any,  yet  exercifes  no  power,  no  authority, 
but  according  to  his  infinite  wifdom  and  goodnefs. 
To  act  contrary  to  them,  would  be  to  "  deny  himfelf," 
and  to  act  contrary  to  his  own  glory  inftcad  of 
advancing  it  \  which  are  both  impotable.  So  that 
the  great  and  bleffed  God  may,  with  the  ftfidteft  pro- 
priety, be  filled*  A  fovereignly  wife  and  good  Being. 
If  his  power  and  dominion,  on  one  hand,  are  without 
bounds,  without  limits,  his  wifdom  and  goodnefs  are 
equally  unbounded,  unlimited,  on  the  other  ,  and 
no  lels  effential  to  him  than  exiilence  itfelf.  And 
"  let  him  that  gloricth,55  faith  the  moil  High,  "  glory 
"  in  this,  that  he  underitandeth  and  knoweth  me, 
<c  that  I  am  the  Lord,  which  exerciie  loving-kindncfs, 
"judgment  and  rigbteoufnefs  in  the  earth  :  for  in  thefc 
"  things  I  delight,  faith  the  Lord."* 

But 
Jen  IX.  24, 


of  GO  Us   Gocdnefs.  27 

But  I  proceed  to  confider  more  particularly, 

II.  The  extent  and  perfection  of  the  divine  good- 
nefs,  according  to  the  representation  in  the  text  ; 
Wherein  it  is  declared,  that  tc  the  Lord  is  good  to 
tc  all,"  &c.  And  there  are  feveral  obfervations  to 
be  made  here,  preparatory  to  a  diitinci  explanation  of 
thefe  words.         The  firft  is, 

1.  That  the  creatures  and  works  of  God,  rational 
and  irrational,  animate  and  inanimate,  are  exceeding 
numerous.  How  vail  is  the  number  and  variety  of 
them,  only  in  this  lower  world  ?  How  many  differ- 
ent ranks  and  orders  of  living  creatures,  exclufive  of 
men,  people  this  earth,  air  and  water,  from  the  moun- 
tainous elephant,  and  enormous  whale,  down  to  the 
mite, too  fmall  to  befeen  but  by  a  borrowed  microfco- 
pic  eye  ?  And  how  prodigioufly  numerous  are  the  indi- 
viduals of  almoil  every  of  thefe  different  fptcies  r  But 
when  we  ratfe  our  eyes  and  imaginations  from  this 
comparatively  little  globe,  to  the  numerous  and  ftu- 
pendous  world  above  and  around  us,  to  whofe  extent 
in  j pace  there  are  no  apparent  limits,  any  more  than 
to  fpace  itlelf  -,  and  when  we  reaibn  analogically  from 
this  to  thofe,  we  may  with  great  probability  conclude, 
that  they  are  alio  peopled  by  a  number  and  variety  of 
creatures,  proportioiiably  greater  than  are  in  our  own. 
How  aftoniihing  ? — how  lurpaffing  imagination  itfelf, 
then,  muli  their  variety  &  number  be  !: — "  O  Lord, 
how  manifold  are  thy  works  ?  in  wifdom  hail  thou 
made  them  all  !" — * 

2.  The  exercife  of  benevolence  or  gocdnefs,  in 
the  ftrict  notion  of  it,  fuppofes  creatures  that  are  at 
lean:  fenfttivs  and  perceptive^  tho5  they  may  be  irra- 
tional. None  befides  fucb^  are  in  nature  capable  of 
enjoying  the  divine  goodneis,  the  effects  of  it,  or  of 

D  2  having 

*  Pfal.   104.  24. 


28     Of  the   Extent  and  PerfeElion 

having  goodnefs  and  mercy  exercifed  towards  them, 
God  cannot  properly  be  faid  to  be  good  or  kind  to 
the  earth  and  water,  or  to  mere  inanimate,  lifelefs, 
unperceiving  matter. 

3.  On  the  other  hand  you  will  obferve,  that 
all  fuch  creatures  as  are  endowed  either  with  rea- 
fon,  or  a  perceptive  faculty  only,  in  how  low 
a  degree  foever,  are  actually  capable  of  happinefs,  or 
agreeable  fenfations.  They  are  therefore  naturally 
capable  objects  of  the  divine  goodnefs  and  mercy. 
I  mean,  it  is  fuppofeable,  or  implies  no  natural  im- 
pofiibility,  that  all  fuch  creatures  may  actually  ex- 
perience the  effects  of  God's  beneficence.  As  to  the 
fact,  I  do  not  at  prefent  concern  myfelf  with  it  :  But 
it  is  manifeft  that  the  Creator  and  Lord  of  all,  mayy 
without  any  inconfiftency  or  abfurdity,  be  fuppofed 
actually  good  to  all  that  are,  by  the  nature  which 
he  has  given  them,  rendered  capable  of  participating 
in  the  effects  of  his  goodnefs. 

4.  Of  thofe  creatures  that  are  capable  of  enjoy- 
ment or  pleafure,  fome  are  doubtlefs  capable  of  it  in 
far  higher  degrees  than  others.  Some  have  apparently, 
not  only  quicker  fenfes,  but  more  in  number  than 
others.  Some  are  but  one  little  remove  from  lifelefs, 
unfenfed  matter  :  And  the  capacity  for  happinefs  in 
all,  is  probably  in  proportion  to  the  number 
and  quicknefs  of  their  fenfes,  or  perceptive  faculties. 
It  mould  be  added  here,  that  all  the  inhabitants  of 
this  earth,  men  excepted,  are  apparently  incapable  of 
the  greateft  &  fublimeft  pleafures  that  we  know  of ; 
thofe  of  reflexion,  moral  virtue,  religion,  the  know- 
ledge and  love  of  God,  and  hope  in  him.  Thefe  are 
pleafures  of  a  peculiar  kind,  belonging  only  to  rea- 
sonable creaturcse 

5.  From 


of  GOD's   Goodnefs.  29 

5.  From  hence  it  follows,  that  tho'  all  are,  in  a 
degree,  capable  objects  of  the  divine  beneficence  ; 
yet  fome  may  be  fo  in  a  far  higher  and  more  eminent 
fenfe  than  others.  God  may  eafily  be  conceived  actu- 
ally good  to  all,&  yet  not  equally  fo  to  all.  Or  rather, 
it  is  evident  that  he  is  not  fo  ;  as  certain,  almoft,  as 
it  is,  that  he  is  actually  good  to  any,  in  any  degree. 

6.  God  may  properly  be  faid  to  be  good  and 
merciful  to  all  thofe,  for  whofe  welfare  he  pro- 
vides according  to  their  refpective  natures  and  capa- 
cities, however  inferior.  If  thefe  are  upon  the  whole 
happy,  or  if  thofe  of  an  higher  order  might  be  fo,  did 
they  not  abufe  the  divine  goodnefs,  God  is  certainly 
good  to  them  :  And  this,  tho'  a  degree  of  pain  mould 
attend  their  enjoyments  ;  yea,  tho*  an  end  mould  be 
put  to  the  exiitence  of  fome  of  them  (o  foon  after 
they  began  to  be,  that  their  term  of  life  would  be  but 
as  a  moment.  There  is  real  goodnefs  and  kindnefs 
fhewn  them,  even  upon  this  iuppofition,  however 
little  :  For  whatever  any  enjoy,  be  it  more  or  lefs,  it 
is  from  the  mere  goodnefs  of  the  Creator. 

7.  It  is  fuppofeable,  that  in  producing  fuch  a 
wonderful,  and  almoft  infinite  variety  of  worlds  and 
creatures  ; — creatures  with  fuch  different  capacities 
of  enjoyment,  the  infinitely  wife  Author  of  all,  had  a 
view  to  the  general,  common  good  of  his  creation  •, 
and  confequently,  that  this  variety  itfelf  may  contri- 
bute thereto.  Even  we,  who  are  fo  fhort-fighted,  can 
in  many  cafes  clearly  fee  how  variety,  due  fubordina- 
tion  of  parts,  &c.  actually  contribute  to  the  beauty, 
perfection  and  real  benefit  of  an  whole,  or  what  is 
confidered  as  fuch.  May  not  then,  the  amazing  va- 
riety obferved  in  the  one  real  whole,  the  universe, 
poffibly  tend  to  the  beauty,  advantage  and  perfection 
thereof  ?  Or  muft  we  conclude,  that  becaufe  we  can- 
not particularly  fee  and  comprehend  ail  the  relations 

and 


30     Of  the  Extent  and  PerfeSiion 

and  connexions  of  things  thro'out  the  univerfe,  fo  as 
to  perceive  how  this  variety  in  every  inirance  actually 
contributes  to  the  perfection  thereof,  therefore  HE 
that  made  it  cannot,  or  did  not  defign  it  "for  that 
end  ?  A  prefumptuous  conclufion  indeed  ! 

8.  There  is  pofitive  and  ttrongreafon  to  think  in 
general,  that  this  is  actually  the  truth  :  And  the  man- 
ner of  realcning  is  fuch, — fo  plain,  that  all  in  general 
may  eafily  perceive  the  force  of  it.  The  argument 
may  be  reduced  to  a  very  few  words,  thus  : — This 
variety  was  not  undtfigned,  or  produced  for  no  end. 
Nor  can  it  be  fuppoied  an  indifferent,  thing  in  itfei£ 
whether  it  mould  be,  or  not  :  No  man  of  the  kali 
reflexion  can  imagine  io.  If  then,  it  was  neither  uft- 
dejigned^  nor  a  matter  of  indifference  in  its  own  nature, 
it  muft  have  bc^n  intended  either  for  a  pofitivtly 
wife  and  good0  or  a  politively  unreafonable  and  malevo- 
lent end.  There  is  no  medium  •,  this  is  the  dilemma. 
To  fay  the  latter,  is  nothing  faort  of  a  blafphemous 
imputation  of  folly  and  malevolence  to  the  Creator. 
The  former  therefore,  is  even  demon  ft  ratively  the 
truth  ;  viz.  That  this  almoft  infinite  variety  among:! 
the  creatures  of  God,  was  defighed  by  him  for,  and 
therefore  actually  tends  to,  the  ornament,  perfectien 
and  real  good  of  the  univerfe. — ct  And  God  faw  every 
"  thing  that  he  had  made,  and  behold,  it  was  very 
fcC  good  •"  fuperlatively,  perfectly  good. 

9.  This  variety,  order,  &  particular  arrangement 
of  the  creatures  and  works  of  God,  being  fuppoied 
in  the  whole  "  very  good  •,"  all  fuch  queftions  as 
thefe,  Why  one  was  not  made  another  ?  Why  men 
were  made  men,  rather  than  brutes  or  angels  ?  Or 
angels,angels,  rather  than  either  of  the  other  ?  Why- 
birds  were  not  made  bealts,  &  beads  birds  ;  &  fifhes 
were  made  fifhes,  inftead  of  bealts  or  fowles  ?  Why 
the  loweft  fc-~ -,:-^**--Laf  the  loweft  fpecies,  was  not 

made 


of  GOD's   Goodnefs.  31 

made  the  higheft  of  the  higheft  -,  and  vice  verfd,  the 
higheft,not  the  lowefc  ? — Allfuch  queries,  I  fay,carry 
their  own  futility  &  felf-repugnance  in  their  very  face. 
They  imply  a  plain  contradiction,  as  much  as  it  would 
be  to  afk,  Why  Noah's  dove  was  not  originally  made 
the  ocean,  the  moon  or  a  comet  ?  Cr,  Why  the  fun 
that  now  lightens  the  heavens,  was  not  made  a  glow- 
worm ? — Is  it  not  plainly  impoffble,  that  a  dove  mould 
have  been  an  ocean^  a  moon  or  comet  \  or  the  fun  a 
glow-worm  !  And  is  it  not  equally  impofnble,  that 
men  mould  have  been  angels,  or  angels  men,  &c  ? 
There  is, therefore,  as  much  folly  as  impiety,  in  "  the 
"  thing  formed  faying  to  Him  that  formed  it,  Why 
"  haft  thou  made  me  thus  ?" 

10.  Although  fuch  creatures  as  are  in  their  na- 
tures capable  of  pleafure,  are  alone  capable  objecls  of 
the  divine  beneiicence,  ftrictly  fpeaking  ;  yet  the 
goodnefs  of  God  may  be  made  manifeft  in  and  by  ail 
his  other  works  in  general ; — tho'  inanimate  and  fenfe- 
lefs.  Thus  the  earth,  the  fea  and  this  lower  air,  with 
all  that  is  therein,  may  ferve  to  manifeft  the  good- 
nefs and  mercy  of  the  Creator,  while  the  heavens 
declare  his  glory. 

These  things  being  premifed,  we  may  now  pro- 
ceed to  a  more  particular  conuderation  of  the  text. 
And  the  doctrine  of  the  infpired  P'almift  here,  com- 
prehends the  following  particulars  ;  viz* 

First,  That  the  Lord  of  all  is  actually  good  and 
kind  to  all  the  different  ranks,  orders  or  fpecies  of  his 
intelligent  and  fenfitive  creatures  ;  all  the  fpecies  that 
are  capable  of  happinefs,  in  whatever  degree. 

Secondly,  That  he  is  likewife  good  and  kind  to 
dll  the  individuals  of  which  thefe  fpecies  conmt. 

Thirdly, 


32       Of  the  Extent  and  PerfeEiion 

Thirdly,  That  all  his  other  works  in  general,  tho' 
incapable  of  enjoying  his  goodnefs  and  mercy,  or  the 
effects  of  them,  yet  ferve  for  the  manlfeftation  there- 
of. And, 

Fourthly,  That  God  is  therefore  an  abfolutely^ 
a  perfectly  good  and  merciful  Being,  or  good  in  the 
higheft  conceiveable  fenfe. 

These  proportions  are  very  fairly  contained  in  the 
general  doctrine,  or  afTertion  of  the  text ;  That  "  the 
"  Lord  is  good  to  all,  and  his  tender  mercies  over 
"  all  his  works."  Accordingly,  I  propofe  to  con- 
fider  and  illuftrate  thefe  points,  rather  as  being  the 
expreis  doctrine  of  rfaeUtion,  and  to  be  believed  on 
the  authority  thereof^  than  as  things  which  are  demon- 
flrable  by  natural  reajon^  obfervation  and  experience, 
For  tho'  this  is  in  general  a  moft  rational  doctrine, 
for  the  proof  whereof,  arguments  of  the  latter  kind 
are  not  wanting,  fome  of  which  may  be  briefly  hinted 
at  ;  yet  a  proper  difcuflion  of  it  in  this  way,  would 
require  many  difcourfes,  and  fuch  a  kind  of  reaion^ 
jng  alfo,  as  is  not  io  convenient  for  the  pulpit. 

To  return  then  : 

First,  The  Lord  of  all  is  actually  good  and  kind 
to  all  the  different  ranks ',  orders  or  /pedes  of  his  in- 
telligent and  fenfitive  creatures  ;  all  the  fpecies  that 
are  capable  of  happinefs,  in  whatever  degree.  That 
God  is  good  to  angels,  is  doubted  by  none  ;  and, 
that  he  is  good  and  merciful  to  mankind,  is,  in  words, 
allowed  by  all.  The  principal  defign  of  the  holy 
fcriptures,  is  indeed  to  mew  the  "  riches  of  his  good- 
nefs" to  the  children  of  men  •,  efpecially  in  their  re- 
demption by  his  Son.  He  is  good  to  the  beaft3  of 
the  field  and  foreft,  to  the  fowies  of  the  air,  to  the 
fifti  of  the  fea,  to  all  the  fpecies  pf  reptiles,  to  ^cvery 


of  GOD* s  Goodnefs.  33 

kind  of  infers,  the  mod  inferior  not  excepted ;  fuch 
as  fhun  the  naked  eye.  All  thefe  he  upholds  in  the 
being  which  he  gave.  He  preferves  the  refpective 
orders  didmct,  from  age  to  age.  He  makes  futable 
provifion  for  them  all,  and  opens  to  them  his  (lores* 
The  holy  fcriptures,  particularly  the  book  of  Job,  of 
Pfalms,  and  the  writings  of  Solomon,  abound  with 
reflexions  upon  the  provifion  which  the  Author 
of  nature  has  made,  for  the  fubfiftence  and  com- 
fort of  the  animal  and  fenfitive  creation.  The  1 04th 
Pfalm,  which  is  a  pret-y  long  one,  is  chiefly  taken 
lap  with  reflexions  of  this  kind.  The  beads,  fowles 
and  fifhes  a*e  particularly  mentioned  as  the  objects 
of  God's  providential  care  :  "  Thefe  wait  all  upon 
"  thee,"  fays  the  Pfalmift,  "  that  thou  mayett  give 
"  them  their  meat  in  due  feafon — Thou  opened  thine 
"  hand,  they  are  filled  with  good."*  So  in  my  con- 
text (ver.  15  and  16.)  "  The  eyes  of  all  wait  upon 
"  thee,  and  thou  giveft  them  their  meat  in  due  fea- 
"  fon.  Thou  opened  thine  hand,  and  fatisfied  the 
"  defire  of  tv try  living  thing."  Many  forts  of  beads, 
fifli  and  fowle,  and  even  more  infignifica  >t  creatures 
are  particularly  indanced  in,  in  the  holy  fcriptures, 
as  examples  of  God's  univerfal  care,  &  objects  of  his 
kindnefs  :  Whale>,  oxen,  flieep,  horfes,  the  odritch, 
dork,  &c.  An  J  our  Saviour  himfelf  difdains  not  to 
fpcak  more  than  once,  of  the  goodnefs  of  God  to 
u  ravens"  and  "  fparrows." 

If  there  are  other  planets  or  worlds  inhabited,  we 
may  be  certain  that  God  takes  a  fimilar  care  of  the 
various  orders  of  creatures  in  them,  aniwerable  to 
their  refpeclive  natures  and  wants.  It  were  h.ghly 
irrational  to  fuppoie,  that  He  na^  made  any  one  fpe- 
cies  of  creatures,  capable  of  fenfation  in  any  deg  ee* 
and  then  negle^ed  it  as  below  his  providential  care. 
All  kinds  of  living  creatures  that  we  know  of,  mauij 
E  fed 

*  Pfal.     104.  27,  28. 


34         Of  the  Extent  and  Ferfe&ion 

feft  the  wonderful  wifdom  of  the  Creator  in  their 
frame  and  flruclure.  And  if  he  thought  proper  to 
exercife  fuch  a  truly  divine  art  in  the  formation  of 
them,  furely  he  would  not  leave  them  unprovided 
for,  and  lb,  to  unavoidable  mifery,  when  formed. 
Nothing,  no  fpecies,  furely,  which  God  has  created, 
is  too  infignihxant  for  God  to  take  care  of.  And 
how  could  it  be  faid  with  any  propriety,  that  his  ten- 
der mercies  are  over  all  his  works,  if  any  one  whole 
fpecies  were  neglected  and  abandoned  by  him  ? 

But  is  it  only  the  various  fpecies,  that  God  is  good 
and  kind  to  ? — not  the  particulars  of  which  they  con- 
fifl  ?  That  would  be  ftrange  indeed  !  And  this  brings 
us  to  the  fecond  thing  implied  in  the  text  •,  viz. 

Secondly,  That  God  is  likewiie  good  and  kind 
to  all  the  individuals  of  which  thefe  fpecies  confifl. 
Every  whole  being  made  up  of  parts,  and  every  fpe- 
cies confiding  of  individuals  only  -,  it  is  not  very  eafy 
for  common  fenfe  to  conceive  how  an  whole,  or  a  fpe- 
cies can  be  kindly  provided  for  by  the  God  of  all,  as 
fome  have  fuppofed,*  and  yet  the  parts,  the  individu- 
als, be  difregarded  &  neglected  by  him.  Is  God  the 
maker  of  the  fpecies  only,  not  of  the  individuals  ? 
That  were  a  very  myfterious  pofition  ;  a  curious  dif- 
eovery  to  match  the  other  !  Indeed,  they  muft  needs 
go  together.  For  if  God  is  fuppofed  to  be  the 
maker  of  the  individuals,  it  follows  as  undeniably 
from  hence,  that  he  will  take  care  of  individuals,  as 
it  does  from  his  creating  the  fpecies,  that  he  take  care 
of  the  fpecies.  The  reafoning  that  will  hold  with 
refpect  to  one,  will  hold  equally  with  refpeel  to  the 
other  :  If  it  fails  in  one,  it  will  fail  in  the  other  alfo. 
And,  as  was  hinted  before,  if  individuals  are  neg- 
lected or  overlooked, it  is  plain  that  the  fpecies  them- 
fevlves  are  not  provided  for,  unlefs  the   fpecies  can 

be 

*  LcL  BoUnbroke,  &c. 


of  GO  Us  Goodnefs.  35 

be  preferved,  when  all  the  individuals  are  left  to  pe- 
nfh  !  A  providential  care  of  the  fpecies,  evidently 
involves  the  like  care  of  the  individuals  thereof;  at 
lcaft  of  fome  of  them.  And  if  God  takes  care  of 
fome,  why  not  of  all  ?  Is  this  too  laborious  a  tafk  for 
Him  that  is  at  once  omniprefent,  omnifcient  and 
omnipotent  ? 

But  how  can  God  be  faid  to  be  good  to  all  ? — • 
how  could  it  be  affirmed,  that  his  tender  mercies  are 
over  all  his  works,  if  there  were  fome  of  his  creatures, 
his  works,  originally  unprovided  for  ?  To  fay  that 
this  means  only  all  the  fpecies  of  creatures,  but  not 
the  individuals,  is  taking  an  unnatural  and  unwarran- 
table liberty  with  the  holy  fcriptures,  befides  the  ab- 
furdity  of  the  very  fuppoiition  itfelf,  and  the  fetting 
of  bounds  and  limits  to  the  divine  goodnefs.  Nay, 
would  not  this  be  to  fuppofe  God  pofitively  cruel  to 
fome  of  his  creatures  ?  There  is  no  medium  betwixt 
his  being  actually  kind  and  merciful  to  all,  and  his 
being  pofitively  cruel  and  unmerciful  to  fome.  For, 
pleaie  to  confider,  that  when  God  makes  creatures 
capable  of  happinefs  and  mifery,  in  whatever  degree  ; 
if  he  does  not  alio  make  provifion  for  their  comfor- 
table fubfitlence,  and  take  a  kind  care  of  them,  he 
of  coniequence  dooms  them  to  inevitable  pain  and 
mifery,  even  without  any  fault  of  theirs  ;  fince  if  a 
creature  is  actually  made,  and  preferved  in  a  Hate  of 
fenfibility,  it  murt  be  either  in  a  degree  of  pleafureor 
pain.  If  it  be  not  the  former,  it  mull  of  courfe  be 
the  latter.  And,  upon  the  prefent  fuppofition,  this 
is  wholly  owing  to  God's  not  making  that  provifion 
for  the  creature,  which  was  abfolutely  necelTary  for 
its  well-being,  according  to  the  nature  given  it  by 
himfelf.  Now,  let  fome  very  acute  diftinguifher 
mew  the  difference  betwixt  this  and  pofitive  cruelty  : 
It  would  be  in  vain  for  an  ordinary  genius  to  at- 
tempt it.     And  when  any  One  has  fairly  made  out 

E  2  this 


36     Of  the   Extent  and  PerfeSiion 

this  distinction,  he  will  probably  be  able  to  reconcile 
fuch  a  conduct  in  the  Creator,  w  th  the  exprefs  doct- 
rine of  fcripture,  that  he  "  faasfietb  the  de^re  of  every 
Jiving  thing.'7         But 

It  will  perhaps  be  faid,  that  the  univerfal  terms 
all,  every,  and  the  like,  are  fomeiimts  uied   in  a  re- 
trained, limited  fenie  :  And  that  there  are  plain  rea- 
fons  for,  and  an  abfolute  necefllty  or,  understanding 
them  in   this  limited  fenfe  in  many   places   of  fenp- 
ture.     This  is  granted  :   But  then,  they  ought  never 
to  be  thus  limited,  but  understood   in  their  proper, 
natural  and  unconfined  fenfe,  unlefs  there  is  pofitive 
reafon,  or    fome    real  neceffity  for  fuch  a  limitation 
of  them.     Let  any  One  who  thinks  it  reafonable  and 
necefFary  to  limit  the  goodnefs  and  mercy  of  his  Creator, 
Shew  it  to  be  actually  fo,  and  I  wdi  then  acknowledge 
the  reafonablenefs  and  necefiity  of  limiting  the   Sig- 
nification of  thole  univerfal  terms,  in  which  he  is  de- 
clared to  be  good  and  merciful  to  all,  to  every  living 
thing.     Fcr  unlefs  you   can  prove  the  former,  it   is 
impofiiblc  you  mould  ever  be  able  to  prove  the  lat- 
ter.    Limiting  the  fenfe  of  thefe  teims  in  the  prefent 
cale,  is  plainly  limiting  and  letting  bounds  to  that 
goodnefs,  which  is  declared  in  and  by   them  to  be 
unlimited  in  its  extent.     Neither  will  any  man,  who 
really  believes  God   to  be  good  to  all,  ever  defire  to 
find  out  any  reafon  for  putting  a  reftramed  fenfe  upon 
the  term  all  in  the  text. 

But  let  us,  for  a  few  minutes,  take  it  for  granted 
that  all,  here,  does  not  literally  mean  all,  or  every 
individual  ;  but  rhat  there  are  fome  individuals  of 
every  fpecies,  to  which  God  is  not  good  •, — fome  of 
his  works,  over  which  his  mercy  is  not  extended. 
How  many  then,  of  each  fpecies,  fhall  we  fuppofe  in 
this  Situation  ; — thus  forgotten  or  neglected  by  him 
that  made  them  ? 

Let 


of  GO  Us   Goodnefs.  37 

Let  us,  for  example,   fuppofe  one  half  of  every 
fpecies,  thus  abandoned  by  the  "  God  and  Father  of 
all."     I  afk  then,    Whether   all  theie  individuals,  to 
which  God  is  not  good  and  merciful,  muft  not  inevi- 
tably be  wretched  ;  each  of  them  being  left  deftitute 
of  a  proper  lupply  to  its  natural  wants  ?  No  One  can 
doubr  of  this.     All,  for  vvhofe  well-being  God  makes 
no  provifion,  muft  of  courfe  be  miferable  :  For  who 
bcfides  Him  can  provide  for  them  ?  I  afk,in  the  next 
place,  Whether  this  fuppjfition  is  confident  with  the 
fpirit,  and  mamfeft  defign  of  the  text,  even  tho5  the 
term  all,  twice  uied  therein,  did  not  literally  intend 
every  individual  ?  I  afk,  in  the  next  place,   Whether 
the  fuppofition,  that  one  half  oi  every  Ipecies  are  thus 
abandoned  to  unavoidable  mifery  by  their  Creator,  is 
confident  with  h:s  acknowledged  general  character,  as 
a  good  and  merciful  Being  P   Is  not  this  fuppofition 
highly,    and     very     obviouily    repugnant    to    that 
character  •,  and  therefore,  to  the  honor  of  God  ?  It 
may  be  again  demanded,  W7hether  they  who  think 
this  to  be  the  truth  (if  any  fuch  there  are)  do  not,  in 
effect,  unite  in  their  imaginations  tht  two  independ- 
ent and  oppofite  principles  of  the  Manichasans,  the 
one  good,  the  other  evil,  into  one  felf-contradictory 
being,  whom  they  call,  and  whom  they  worffiip  under 
the  name  of,  the  "  One  God  and  Father  of  all  !" — 
Let  me  afk  once  more,  Whether  this' fuppofition  of 
one  half  of  every  fpecies  thus  abandoned,  be  not  a 
very  moderate  and  modefi  fuppofition,  according  to  the 
reprefentations  which   tome  perlons   have  given  of 
God's  conduct  towards  one    of  the  moil  confiderable 
fpecies  that  we  have  any  particular  knowledge  of  ? 

But  you  will  allow,  perhaps,  that  the  fuppofition 
oi  out  half  is  too  large  ;  that  it  is  not  agreeable  to  the 
text,  to  realon,  or  to  the  general  idea  of  God  as  a 
good, kind  and  merciful  be\ng — "  Half 'is,  indeed,  too 
many,  and  fhocks  the  mind  at  once  !'? — I  underftand 
you  well.     Inilead  of  faying  one  bafihen,  we   will 

lav 


38       Of  the  Extent  and  PerfeSiion 

fay  only,  one  quarter.  Will  this  fuppofition  ftand  the 
teil  ?  What  !  One  quarter  part  of  every  fpecies,  both 
of  fenfitive  and  rational  creatures,  abandoned  thus  to 
ineviable  mifery  by  their  Creator  ;  and  yet  this  fame 
Creator  declared  in  his  own  holy  word,  to  be  good 
to  all  ! — A  quarter  of  all  God's  creatures  of  every 
kind  and  order,  are  a  great  many,  furely,  to  be  thus 
caft  off  and  fcrfaken  by  Him,  whofe  tender  mercies 
are  faid  to  be  over  all  his  works  ! — If  you  confider, 
and  recollecl  yourfelves,  I  believe  you  will  think  the 
number  ftill  iomewhat  too  large — What  !  a  quarter 
part  of  the  whole  !  But  if  you  will  not  yet  give  this 
up,  let  me  vary  the  language  of  the  text  alitrie,  and 
paraphrafe  it  lo  as  precifely  to  exprefs  your  fenle  of 
it,  thus — "  The  Lord  is  good  to  three  quarters  of  his 
"  creatures,  and  his  tender  mercies  are  over  three 
"  quarters  of  all  his  works  :  But  to  the  other  quarter 
"  he  is  not  good,  kind  or  merciful  ;  but  leaves  them 
"  to  unavoidable  mifery  and  deilruclion."— Will  you 
allow  this  to  be  a  natural  praraphrafe,  or  to  give  ihe 
genuine  fenfe  of  the  text  ? — "  No  :  \i  founds  harihiy  j 
"  and  feems  too  much  to  limit  the  divine  goockveis." 


Well  then,  let  us  fuppofe  only  a  tenth,  twentieth, 
fiftieth,  hundredth,  or,  to  cut  the  matter  ftill  fhorter, 
only  one  thoufandth  part  of  the  whole  rational  and 
fenfitive  creation,  doomed  to  inevitable  mifery  in  the 
ner  before  expreffed — Will  you  abide  by  this  ? 
Will  you  abate  nothing  of  it  ? — When  you  confider 
the  innumerable  millions  or  creatures,  many  of  them 
rational  ones,  that  muft,  even  on  this  fuppofition,  be 
wretched, does  it  lit  eafy  upon  your  minds  ?— Is  not  the 
number,  in  the  whole,  too  large  ftill  ? — A  thousandth 
part  of  all,  of  every  fpecies,  in  all  worlds  •, — probably 
enough  to  people  thoufands  of  fuch  worlds  as  this  ! — 
How  can  that  be  •,  and  yet  God  be  an  exceed- 
ing good,  kind  and  merciful  being  ?  I  am  perfwaded 
that,  upon  reflexion,  you  will  not  ftand  to  this. 

Suppose 


of  GO  Us   Goodnefs.  39 

Suppose  then,  but  ten  individuals,  or  five,  nay, 
two  only  of  every  fpecies,  nay,  but  one  •,  yet  thefe 
muft  amount  to  a  vafl  number.  For  the  number  of 
the  fpecies  even  in  this  little  globe,  is  great  ;  how 
prodigious  then,  muft  it  probably  be  in  all  worlds 
taken  collectively  ?  And  will  not  one  individual  of 
each  of  them,  amount  in  the  whole  to  too  great  a 
number  to  be  thus  doomed  to  unavoidable  mifery,  by 
Him  who  gave  them  being  ?  Is  even  this  confident 
with  his  acknowledged  general  character  as  a  good 
and  merciful  Being  ?  If  you  think  foberly  and  im- 
partially, you  will  chufe  rather  to  kffen  the  number 
Hill,  than  to  defend  this  fuppofition. 

Well  then,  fuppofe  but  a  fingle  individual  of  one 
fpecies — -Only  let  that  be  a  reafonable  creature,  capa- 
ble by  nature  of  knowing  and  enjoying  God  eternally, 
whom  he  never  difpleafcd  by  any  act  of  his  ! — No — 
It  mail  be  but  an  irrational  creature,  and  that  of  the 
very  loweft,  the   moll  inferior  fpecies,  that  is  thus 
doomed  to  all  the  pain  which  it  is  in  its  nature  capa- 
ble of  enduring. — And  can  you  feriouOy  think  that 
the  Creator  and  "  Father  of  all,"  has  pitched   upon 
this  poor  mite,  to  make  the  exiftence  which  himfelf 
gave,  wretched  !  Why  ?  fin  it  could  not  :  And  is  it 
agreeable  to  wifdom,  goodnefs  and  mercy,  to  make 
an  innocent  creature  miferable  thro'  the  whole  term  of 
its   exiftence,  whether  longer  or  fhorter  ? — If  you 
are  reiblved  to  defend  even  this  loweft  of  all   fuppo- 
fitions  which  the  nature  of  the  queftion  admits,  you 
mould,  I  think,   paraphrafe  the   text  thus — "  The 
"  Lord  is  good  to  all  but  one,  and  his  tender  mercies 
"  are  over  all  his  works,  excepting  a  fingle  infignificanc 
<c  creature,    which  either    efcapes   his    notice,  or  ac 
m  which  he  is  angry,  and  fo  makes  it  miferable,  tho' 
<c  it  neither  has,  nor  is  capable  of  offending  Him." 
How  do  you  like  this  paraphrafe  ?  You  muft  needs 
adopt  one  to  this  purpofe,  if  you  oppofe  what  I  am 

endeavouring 


4o     Uj  the  Extent  and  PerfeElion 

endeavouring  to  eftablifh  •, — the  univerfal  goodnefs 
and  mercy  of  God,  in  the  highelt  and  moft  literal 
fenie  of  the  terms  "  all,5'  and  "  every  living  thing," 
uled  in  fciipture  with  exprefs  reference  to  the  extent 
of  his  goodnefs. 

Our  Lord  Jefus  Chrift  fpeaking  of  thofe  fparrows^ 
"five  of  which  were  fold  for  two  farthings,"  fays  that 
"'not  one  of  them  is  forgotten  before  God."*  This 
may  doubtlefs  be  faid  with  equal  truths  even  of  crea- 
tures inferior  to  fparrows.  And  One  need  not  fcru- 
pit  to  fay,  that  the  fuppofition  of  any  of  them  being 
forgotten,  forfaken  and  abandoned  by  him,  in  the 
fenfe  fo  often  mentioned,  is  difhonourable  to  God  ; 
an  unworthy  imputation  upon  his  wiidom,  goodnefs, 
mercy,  &  his  providential  care  refptclmg  a  creature 
which  he  thought  proper  to  call  into  exiitence.  So 
that  tho'  fome  things  and  creatures,  of  which  I  have 
been  fpeaking,  are  in  one  view,  indeed,  very  incon- 
fiderable  ;  yet  the  end  purfued  all  along  is  of  the  laft 
importance.  But  if  it  would  be  diilionourable  to 
God,  to  charge  him  with  treating  only  one  of  the 
molt  inferior  of  his  creatures  in  fuch  a  manner,  what 
mall  we  think  of  that  doctrine,  which  reprefents  him 
as  treating  millions  of  millions  of  his  rational  creatures 
after  the  fame' manner  ! — or  rather,  after  a  manner 
almoft  infinitely  harder  to  be  reconciled  with  wifdom9 
goodnefs  and  mercy  ! — I  will  not  fay,  what  ought 
to  be  thought  of  it  \  but  leave  it  to  your  calm  and 
ferious  reflexions.         To  proceed, 

Thirdly,  All  God's  other  works  in  general,  tho* 
incapable  of  enjoying  his  goodnefs  and  mercy,  or  the 
effects  of  them,,  yet  ferve  for  the  manifeftation  there- 
of In  agreement  hereto*  by  thofe  words,  tc  all  his 
works,"  we  may  fairly  underffarid,  not  only  his  rea- 
fonable  and  fenfitive  creates;  es,  but  all  his  other  works- 

without 

*  Lkl.u   12.   6s 


of  GO  Us  Goodnefs*  41 

without  exception.     As  if  it  had  been  faid,  that  God 
is  not  only  kind  to  all  his  creatures  that  are  capable 
objects  of  his  kindnefs,  but  hath    lef  c  the  veftiges, 
the  marks,  and  plain  indications  of  his  goodnefs,  even 
of  his  tender  mercies,  impreffed  upon   all  parts  of 
the  creation  ;  all  things  being  adapted  to  anfwer  be- 
nevolent purpofes  refpecting  the  creatures  that  are 
capable  of  enjoying  good.     This  is  no  harm  con- 
flruction  of  the  words  :  But  whether  it  is  juft  or  not, 
in  point  of  criticifm,  it  is  undoubtedly  true  -,  and 
this  fentiment  correfponds    to  what  is  declared  'in 
many  other  places  of  fcripture.     "  God  faw  every 
thing  that  he  had  made ;  and  behold,  it  was  very  good.'* 
All  his  works  are,accordingly,faid  to  be  made  by  him 
in  wifdorn,  to  praife  him^  and  the  like.     Such  paffages 
muft  be  fuppofed  to  have  fome  reference  to  the  good- 
nefs  of  God's  inanimate  works,  confidered  with  re- 
lation to  his  reafonable  &  fenfitive  creatures,  to  v/hofe 
pleafure  and  ufe  they  are  adapted  ;  either  by  afford- 
ing fubfiftence  to  them,  or  pleafing  the  eye,  ear  and 
imagination  ;   or    being  really  beneficial   in    fome 
other  refpect.     It  is  not  eafiy  to  conceive,  why  they 
mould   be  called  "  very  good,"  or  faid   to  "  praife 
him,"  but  upon  the  fuppofition  of  their  being  wifely 
and  kindly  adapted  to  afford  fubfiftence,  pleafure  and 
delight  to  creatures  capable  of  enjoyment. 

It  is  indeed  evident  to  fenfe  and  reafon,  that  the 
whole  vifible  creation  is  the  work  of  a  good  and  mer- 
cifulBeing,not  merely  of  a  mod  intelligent  &  power- 
ful One.  The  ftrufture,  the  admirable  order  and 
adjuflment  of  the  various  parts,  nothing  fuperfluous, 
nothing  wanting,  from  whence  refults  the  harmony 
and  beauty  of  the  whole,  prove  the  former  as  cer- 
tainly as  they  do  the  latter  ;  loudly  proclaiming  at 
once  the  power,  wifdom  and  goodnefs  of  the  adore- 
able  Creator.  The  air,  heavens,  earth  and  fea,  be- 
fides  affording  habitation  and  fubfiftence  to  fo  many 

F  millions 


42         Of  the  "Extent  and  PerfeBion 

millions  of  other  creatures,  are  all  adapted  in  fome 
degree  at  leaft,  to  the  life  and  delight  of  man  in  par-> 
ticular.     Here  are  hamony  to  ravilh  his  ear,  beauty 
to  feaft  his  eye,grateful  odors  to  regale  his  nofe,  delici- 
ous fruits,  liquors,  &c.  to  gratify  almoft  all  his  fenfes 
at  once.     So  that  ample  provifion  is  made,  not  only 
for  his  necefTary  fupporf,  but  his  plealure  and  delight 
alfo,  within  the  bounds  of  reafon,  or  a  virtuous  mode- 
ration.    And  if  nature,  or  rather  its  Author,   fends 
difeafes,  he  alfo  fends  remedies  :   Nor  are  there  few- 
er antidotes  than  poifons  in  the  natural  world  ;    thoy 
there  is,  indeed,  now  no  "  tree  of  life"  to   be  feen 
therein,  of  which  we  may  "  eat,  and   live  forever5' 
here.     But  "  wifdom    is    a   tree    of    life    to    them 
**  that  lay  hold  upon  her,  and  happy  is  every  one 
"  that  retaineth  her  -," — even  immortally  happy  thro' 
the  fecond  Adam,  the  Lord  from  heaven,  who  hath 
**  abolifhed  death,  and  brought  life  and  immortality 
"  to  light  thro'  the  gofpel." — But  not  to  digrefs. — ■ 
There  is  no  one  fenfe,  natural  appetite  or  want,  either 
in  man,  or  in  the  other  inferior  inhabitants  of  the 
earth,  but  the  beneficentAuthor  of  all,  has  made  pro- 
vifion for  the  regular  gratification  and  fupply  thereof. 
Every  vifible  object  in  the  natu-al  world,  has  a  bene- 
ficent end  •>  if  not   with  relation   to  man,   yet  with 
refpect  to  the  other  creatures  ;  not  one  of  which    is 
below  the  care  of,  or  "  forgotten  beforeGod."    Even 
the  extended  barren  fands  and  deferts  in  fome   parts 
of  the  earth, the  equally  barren  rocks  $c  promontories 
in  others,  and  the  inaccefTible  precipices,  mountains 
and   wildernefTes    in  others,   have  their    good    and 
merciful   ends,   or   ufes.     They  lerve  at    leaft    for 
fhelter,  and  a  fecure  retreat  to  the  fowles  of  heaven, 
where  they  may  hatch  and  nurfe  their  young  :   And 
alfo  for  four-footed  beads,  and  creeping  things,  left 
their  fpecies  mould,  perhaps,  be  otherwife  deitroyed 
by  Man,  that  "mighty  hunter  before  the  Lord." 

The 


of  GO  Us   Goodnefs.  43 

The  benevolent  ufes  and  ends  of  almoft  all  parts 
of  the  vifible  creation,  are  very  obvious.  And  as 
to  thofe  particular  things,  the  final  caufes,  or  good 
ends  whereof  lie  Jefs  open  to  common  view  \  the 
more  attentively  they  are  examined,  and  the  better 
underltood,  the  more  clearly  do  they  maniteit  both 
the  wifdom  and  goodnefs  of  God;  fhewing  that  the 
"  earth  is  (indeed) /«// of  his  riches,"  while  the  hea- 
vens proclaim  his  glory.  In  which  view  particular- 
ly, the  writings  of  King  David,  Solomon,  and  many 
other  men  of  philolbphic,  comtemplative  minds,  are 
of  fingular  advantage,  and  redound  greatly  to  the 
honor  of  God.  "  The  works  of  the  Lord  are  great, 
"  fought  out  of  all  thofe  that  have  pleafure  therein. 
"  His  work  is  honourable  and  glorious,  and  his 
"  righteousness  endureth  for  ever.  He  hath 
"  made  his  wonderful  works  to  be  remembered."  * 
The  works  of  God,  as  has  been  intimated  before,  are 
honourable,  and  declare  his  glory  more  efpe- 
cially,conlidered  as  Ct  good,"  and  as  having  his  "  ten- 
der mercies"  manifefted  in  and  by  them.  Yea,  it  may 
be  questioned  whether  they  are  truly  glorious  at  all, 
confidered  merely  as  the  effects  of  great  knowledge 
and  power3or  without  any  relation  to  benevolent  ends. 
Certainly,  no  One  could  thinl:  the  works  of  a  male- 
volent or  unmerciful  being,  tended  to  his  praife  and 
honor,  whatever  art,  contrivance  and  power  appeared 
in  them.  This  art,  contrivance  and  power,  being 
applied  to  evil  and  malicious  purpofes,  would  be  ra- 
ther a  proper  ground  for  reproaches  and  execrations, 
than  for  fuel)  praife  and  glory  as  are  juftlydue  to  the 
ever-bleffed  God,  who  is  good  to  all,  and  whofe  ten- 
der mercies  are  *'  over  all  his  works." 

Fourthly,   God  is  therefore   an  abfolutely,  a  per- 
fectly good  and  merciful  Being  •,  or  good  in  the  high- 
eft  conceivable  fenfe.     This  follows  evidently  from 
F  2  the 

*  Pfalm  III. 


>J4      Of  the  Extent  and  Perfection 

the  text,  and  what  has  been  difcourfed  upon  it. 
According  to  this  character  of  him  and  his  works, 
goodnefs  and  mercy  are  the  moft  pre-eminent,  the 
moftdiftingufhed  attributes  of  God  :  For  his  unfearch- 
able  wifdom  and  infinite  power,  if  One  may  fo  ex- 
prefs  it,  are  but  the  minijiers  of  his  infinite  goodnefs, 
being  wholly  employed  to  accomplifh  his  good  and 
gracious  purpofes  refpecting  his  creatures.  Accord- 
ingly, the  conftruction  which  fome  learned  men  have 
put  upon  the  latter  part  of  the  text,  is  this,  that  God's 
tender  mercies  are  above  all  his  other  works,  or  the 
moft  confpicuous,  great  &  excellent.  However  the 
critics  may  fettle  this  point,  {till  the  important  con- 
clusion is  equally  obvious  and  certain  ;  That  God  is 
abfolutely,  univerfally  and  perfectly  good.  It  is  ac- 
cordingly faid  of  him,  by  One  that  came  down  from 
heaven  to  declare  and  make  him  known  to  the  in- 
habitants of  the  earth,  that  there  is  "  none  good  but 
One,  that  is  God."  Agreeably  whereto  St.  John 
fays,  "  God  is  love  :"  Words  which  exprefs,  in 
the  ftrongeft  and  moft  emphatical  manner,  his  etTeh- 
tial,  boundlefs  and  perfect  goodnefs.  And  it  is  wor- 
thy of  particular  remark,  that  thoJ  God  is  infinitely 
wife  and  powerful,  &zc.  as  well  as  good,  yet  he  is  ne- 
ver ftiled  in  {cripture^wifdom  or  power  in  the  abftract,as 
he  is  here  ftiled  love.  Perfect  goodnefs,  love  itfelf,is 
his  very  elTence,  in  a  peculiar  fenfe  ;  immeafurable, 
immutable,  univerfal  and  everlafting  love.  And 
nothing  that  is  in  any  manner  or  degree  inconfiftent 
with  fuch  love,  has  any  place  in  God  :  For  "  God  is 
light,  and  in  him  there  is  no  darknefs  at  all."  * 

To  me  it  feems  at  once  impious  and  abfurd,  as  in- 
volving a  contradiction,  to  fuppofe  that  we  can  even 
conceive,  or  have  any  idea  of,  a  goodnefs  afid  mercy 
more  confummate,  more  perfect  than  any  which  aftu- 
ally  exifts  in  nature,  or  the  God  of  nature.     From 

whence 
•  i  John  L  s, 


of  GO  Us  Goodnefs.  4  5 

whence  mould  this  idea,  this  conception  of  abfolute, 
perfect  and  unchangeable  goodnefs  come  ?  Or  how 
could  we  have  it,  any  more  than  thefe  of  unbounded 
fpace,  and  of  time  without  beginning,  i.  e.  of  im- 
menfity  and  eternity,  if  there  were  in  nature  no  fuch 
thing  ?  In  thefe  cafes,  there  doubtlefs  is,  and  muft 
be,  fomething  which  anfwers  to  the  ideas  -,  at  lead, 
our  mental  conceptions,  the  copies,  cannot  furpafs 
and  exceed,  cannot  be  greater  or  more  perfect  than 
any  exifting  original. 

God  being  fuppofed  all-knowing,  independent  and 
almighty,  the  abfolute  perfection  of  his  goodnefs  may 
be  deduced  from  hence,  together  with  all  moral  qua- 
lities in  the  higheft  poffibie  degree.     Such  a  Being 
muft  know  what  is  in  itfelf  good^s  an  End,«wz.  happi- 
nefs  ;  and  alio  know  whatever  is  right  and  reafonable, 
excellent  and  glorious  :  Which  may  all  be  compre- 
hended in  doing  good.    He  muft  alfoknow  all  the  poffi- 
bie means,  or  ways  of  doing  it  •,  and,  which  are  the  beft, 
propereft,  and  moft  effectual  ;  fo  as  to  be  fubject  to 
no  miftake  or  error.    Moreover  ;    being  independent 
and  all-powerful,  he  cannot  be  under  any  wrong  bias, 
or  have  any  difficulties  to  difcourage  him  in  purfuing 
what  is  right  ; — any  end  truly  great,  noble  and  ex- 
cellent.    From   thefe  premifes,  which  I  do  but  hint 
at,  it  follows  undeniably,  that  fuch  an  ail  knowing, 
independent  and  infinitely  powerful  being,  muft  alio 
be  infinitely,  perfectly   good.     The  htnefs  and  rea- 
fonableneis  of  being  fo,  would  undoubtedly  determine 
him  to  be  jo.     By  which  laft  exprefllon,  I  am  far  from 
defigning  to  fuggeft,either  that  there  was  a  time  when 
God  was  not  good,   or  that  he  might  poflibly  have 
been  otherwife.     I  mean  the  direct  contrary  in  both 
refpects,  viz.  that  as   this  htnefs  was  eternally  feen, 
God  was  eternally  good  ;  and  as  he  faw  it  ncceffarily, 
he  was  as  neceftarily  good  •,  and  yet  not  contrary  to 
his  own  will  or  choice,  which  were  a  contradiction  •, 

but 


46     Of  the  Extent  and  Perfe&ion 

but  in  conformity  thereto,  even  from  eternity.  For 
nothing  was  prior,  not  even  the  exiitence  of  God,  to 
his  will  to  be  good  ;  or,  in  other  words,  to  his  goodr 
nefs  :  For  thefe  are  the  fame  thing  in  the  ever-glo- 
rious God. 

Besides  :  If  God  is  allowed  to  be  now  gcoq  in  any 
degree,  itwillfrom  hence  follow  demonftrably,  that  he 
is  eternally  and  neceffarily,  univerfally  and  perfectly 
fo  ;  eiTentially  and  equally  good  in  all  times  &  places, 
Nothing  is  now  a  property  in  God,  which  was  not  fo 
from  eternity.     If  he    had  ever  been  deftitute    of 
goodnefs,  whence  mould  it  be  derived  to  him  ?  He 
mull  have  eternally  remained  deititute  of   it,  unlefs 
you  fuppofe  fome    other  being  greater   and  better 
than  Him,  "  of  whom  are  all  things,"  to  communi- 
cate an  excellency  to  him,  which  he  originally  wanted 
in  himfelf ! — God  was,  therefore,   both  eternally  and 
independently  good.     And   if  fo,   tjien    ntcefiarily. 
For  there  was  not  a  profiibility  of  that  which  is  eter- 
nal, underlved  and  independent,  being  otijerwife  than 
it  is.     The  fuppofition  that  it  might  have  been  other- 
wile,  would  involve  the  abfurdity  of  fuppofing  fome- 
thing  prior  to  eternity,  able  to  make  it  otherwiie  :  So 
that  it  would  be?  flrieily,  neither  eternal  nor  indepen- 
dent, tho'  it  is  fuppofed  to  be  both.     God  is  therefore 
eternally,    independently    and    neceffarily    good,    at 
lead  mjbme  degree.     And  if  in  any  degree,  then  abfe- 
lutely,  infinitely  and  perfectly  good.      For  whatever 
is  neceffary  in  God,  is    effential  to  him,  or  a  part  of 
his  very  nature  :    And  God  being  himfelf  infinite,  or 
unlimited,  all  his  properties  or  attributes  muft  be  fo 
likewife  ;  fince  it  would  be  a  repugnancy,to  iuppofe 
finite  and  limited  effential  qualities  in  a  Being,  who 
is  himfelf  neceffarily  infinite.     God  is  then,  not  only 
eternally,  neceffarily  and  effentially,  but  infinitely  or 
perfectly  good.     And  if  fo,  then  equally,  univerfally 
and  immutably  good  in   all  times  and  places.     For 

it 


of  GOD's   Goodnefs.  47 

it  were  a  contradiction  tofuppofe  what  is  eternal,  ne- 
ceffary,  effential,  infinite  and  perfect  in  God,  to  be 
various  or  changeable  \ — different  in  one  time  or  place, 
from  what  it  is  in  all  ethers.  Such  variety,  fuch  mu- 
tability and  changeablenefs,  are  demo  nitrations  of 
a  temporary,  precarious,  dependent,  unneceffary,  fi- 
nite and  imperfect  nature. — Thus  it  follows  from 
God's  being  now  in  any  degree  good,  that  he  is 
eternally,  neceffarily,  eflentially,  univerfally,  perfectly, 
invariably  and  immutably  good. 

That  the  appearances,  ormanifeftations  of  divine 
goodnefs,are  various  and  manifold  in  different  times 
and  places,  is  not  the  leaft  objection  againft  the  ab- 
folute  perfection  and  famenefs  of  that  goodnefs  itfelf, 
in  all  others.  This  is  no  more  than  the  natural,  ne- 
ceffary  confequence  of  perfect  goodnefs, in  calling  fuch 
a  wonderful  variety  of  creatures  into  existence  ;  who, 
if  they  exift  at  all,  muft  exift  in  certain  particular 
times  and  places.  And  the  external  manifestations 
of  God's  goodnefs,  muftbejuft  as  various  as  the 
creatures  which  he  has  made  to  partake  of  it.  Which 
latter  variety  among  the  creatures  being  pofitively 
good,  right  and  belt,  the  former  variety  in  the  ap- 
pearances of  goodnefs,  are  fo  like  wife  ;  in  (lead  of  be- 
ing any  fort  of  objection  againft  the  univerfality,  per- 
fection or  unchangeablcnefs  thereof.  The  manifesta- 
tions of  divine  power  and  wifdom,  are  alfo  different 
in  different  times  and  places.  And  yet  no  one  is  fo 
abfurd  as  to  infer  from  hence,  that  God  is  not  effen- 
tially  and  equally,  perfectly  and  invariably  wife  and 
powerful  in  all  others  :  Tho'  the  inference  would  be 
altogether  as  juftly  drawn  in  the  latter  cafes,  as  in  the' 
former  :  Or  rather,  in  'both  it  would  be  wmolly 
groundlefs  and  irrational. 

Leaving  the  particular  objections  that  were    to 
be  taken  notice  of,  and  the  propofed  reflexions  up- 
on 


48     Of  the   Extent  and  PerfeSiion 

on  this  fubject  to  the  afternoon  \  I  fhall  beg  leave  to 
conclude  this  difcourfe  with  two  or  three  fliort  re- 
marks. And, 

1.  Though  it  is  demonflrably  certain  upon  prin- 
ciples reafon,  thatGod  is  perfectly  good  and  merciful ; 
yet,  whatever  fmful  creatures  might  imagine,  they 
could  not,  without  an  exprefs  revelation  from  heaven, 
know  that  God  would  certainly  pardon  their  fins  on 
repentance.  This  might  feem  probable  ;  but  it 
could  not  be  intirely  depended  on,  to  the  exclufion 
of  doubt,  and  all  juft  caufe  for  uneafy  apprehenfions. 
The  reafon  is,  that  punitive  jujlice  is  a  branch  of  good- 
nefs,  in  fuch  fort  that  a  perfectly  good  and  merciful 
being  may  in  many  cafes  be  obliged  to  punifh  tranf- 
greffors,  in  purfuance  of  his  general  benevolent  de- 
figns  towards  his  creatures  -,  for  the  fupport  of  order, 
right,  &c.  on  which  the  common  good  effentially  de- 
pends. And  how  mould  a  vicious  man,  efpecially  One 
who  has  been  fo  to  a  great  degree,  know,  upon  prin- 
ciples of  reafon  only,  that  he  is  not  himfelf  One  of 
thofe  whom  it  is,  in  this  view,  neceflary  for  an  infi- 
nitely wife  and  good  God  to  punifh,  for  a  terror  and 
warning  to  others  ?  None  butGod  himfelf,who  know- 
eth  all  things,  certainly  knowethwho  may,  or  may  not 
be  pardoned,  confidently  with  the  eternal  rule  of 
right,  of  wifdom  and  goodnefs  ;  and  under  what  par- 
ticular circumftances.  The  light  of  nature  leaves  us 
mote  at  a  lofs  refpecting  this  matter,  than  his  own 
reafon  leaves  a  common  mechanic,  (who  is  quite  ig- 
norant about  affairs  of  ftate  and  policy)  whether  his 
Prince  mould,  in  purfuance  of  the  public  good,  par- 
don a  rebel,  or  ftnke  off  his  head.  A  man  may,  in- 
deed, very  probably  leap  to  this  comfortable 
conclufion,  that  he  himfelf  is  One  of  thofe 
who  may,  and  certainly  fhall  be,  forgiven  of  God. 
Pride,  felf-love  and  mere  vanity,  may  buoy  up  his 
hopes,  and  preferve  him  from   any  great  concern 

about 


of  GOUs   Goodnefs.  49 

about  futurity.  But  if  he  goes  no  fafter  nor  farther 
than  reafon,  or  the  light  of  nature  actually  leads  him, 
he  muft  at  beft  be  left  (like  an  half-founder'd  veffel) 
to  be  toifed  upon  the  billows  of  anxious  doubt  and 
uncertainty,  if  not  to  fink  into  the  abyfs  of  an  hor- 
rible defpair  ! 


2.  One  principal  end  of  Jefus  (Thrift's  coming 
into  this  apoftate  world,  was  to  proclaim  the  glad 
tidings  of  pardon  and  eternal  life  to  finners,  as  the 
free  gift  of  God  thro'  his  mediation  -,  particularly 
thro'  the  atonement  to  be  made  by  his  blood,  when 
he  mould  "  offer  himfelf  up  to  God,  as  a  lamb  with- 
out blemifh  and  without  fpot"  :  Thereby  fupporting 
the  honour  of  God's  violated  commandments,  and 
the  dignity  of  his  government  •,  in  fuch  fort,  that 
guilty  creatures  might  receive  the  forgivenefs  of  fins 
and  eternal  life,  in  a  way  the  moft  agreeable  to  infi- 
nite wifdom  ;  and  therefore  really  more  agreeable  to 
infinite  goodnefs  and  mercy  alfo,  than  if  they  had 
been  pardoned  and  faved  without  any  intervening 
facriflce  for  fin.  Thus,  by  the  chriftian  revelation, — ^ 
a  light  indeed  from  heaven,  finful  men  are  delivered 
from  that  date  of  darknefs  and  perplexity  refpecting 
pardon  and  a  future  (late,  in  which  the  mere  light 
of -nature  actually  leaves  them.  In  this  difpenfati- 
on  of  grace,  the  goodnefs  of  God  to,  and  his  tender 
mercies  over  the  finful  children  of  men, are  moft  clear- 
ly and  glorioufly  manifested.  It  is  both  a  faithful  fay- 
ing, my  brethren,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that 
JeTus  Chrift  came  into  the  world  to  fave  even  the 
chief  of  finners.  Take  heed  therefore,  that  ye  re- 
ceive not  the  grace  of  God  in  vain  •,  for  he  is  not 
willing  tHat  "  any  "mould  perifh,  but  that  all 
Jhould  come  to  repentance.5* 


G  3.  It 


50        Of  the  Extent  and  PerfeSiion 

3.  It  is  greatly  to  be  lamented,  that  this  gofpel 
of  the  kingdom, —  the  glad  tidings  of  great  joy  to 
all  people  ;  fo  full  of  heavenly  peace,  comfort  and 
hope,  and  fuch  a  wonderful  manifeftation  of  the  love 
of  God  to  mankind  :  It  is  much  to  be  lamented,  I 
fay,  that  this  "  glo;ious  gofpel  of  the  blefied  God," 
mould  be  fo  perverted  by  many  -,  fo  reitrained  as  to 
the  number  of  thofe,  for  whole  falvation  it  was  de- 
figned  ;  fo  narrowed,  fo  clogged  with  needlefs  diffi- 
culties and  unfcriptnral  myfteries,  by  dark  fyftems  of 
divinity  produced  in  dark  and  corrupt  ages,  as  to 
become  rather  an  engine  for  difturbing  truly  pious 
and  good  chriftians  with  doubts  and  fears,  than  to  be 
an  adequate  relief  to  awakened  finners,  by  really  ma- 
nifefting  the  riches  of  God's  goodnefs  to  a  guilty 
world  in  its  proper  extent,  thro'  Him  that  "  gave 
"  himfelf  a  ransom  for  all,  to  be  teftified  in  due 
"time."*  And  I  ferioufly  declare,  that  if  I  were 
to  form  my  conceptions  of  God's  moral  character,  by 
fuch  difcourfes  as  I  have  fometimes  heard  and  read, 
and  fuch  as  were,  by  many,  thought  to  be  truly  evan- 
gelical •,  inftead  of  thinking  Him  really  "  good  to 
all,  and  his  tender  mercies  over  all  his  works  •," — 
effentially  good,  and  infinitely  the  beft  of  Beings,  I 
could  not  but  conclude  Him  to  be  infinitely  moie 
unjuft  and  cruel,  than  any  other  being  in  the  uni- 
verfe  ! 

To  conclude  :  It  is  to  hoped  that  the  bleffed  God, 
the  Father  of  all,  has  no  children  here  before  him, 
fo  depraved  as  to  fufpedt  that  I  have  extolled  his 
goodnefs  too  much,  or  represented  him.  better 
than  he  is  ! — O  that  I  could  praife  him  more  !  For 
"  who  can  mew  forth  all  his  praife  !"f — But  if  there 
are  any  perfons  fo  degenerate,  as  to  think  their  Fa- 
ther in  heaven  too  much  honoured  j  inftead  of  telling 
them,  there  is  another  title  better  adapted  to  perfons 

of 

*  1  Tim.  IT.  i.         f  Pfalm  106.  2. 


of  GO  Us   Gocdnefs  51 

of  luch  a  depraved  mind,  than  that  of  Sons,  I  mud 
again  refer  them  to  my  text,  to  the  apoftle  John, 
to  our  Lord  Jeius  Chrift,  and  to  the  holy  fcriptures  in 
general.  I  have  faid  nothing,  as  to  the  extent  and 
perfection  of  God's  goodnefs,  but  what  1  firft  learnt 
from  them  ;  nothing  more  than  God  has  re- 
vealed as  truth.  And  if  it  is  truth  at  all,  it  is  cer- 
tainly mod  interefting,  important  truth  5  to  be 
known,  and  joyfully  received  by  all,  to  the  glory  of 
God  ;  at  once  to  mew  men  what  fentiments,  difpo- 
fitions  and  affections,  ought  to  poffefs  their  hearts 
with  relation  to  Him,  and  to  form  their  temper  and 
behaviour  towards  others  — Thus  mall  ye  be,  indeed, 
"  the,  children  of  the  Highest  •,  for  he  is  kind  un- 
"  to  the  unthankful,  and  to  the  evil.  Be  ye  there- 
"  fore  merciful,  as  your  Father  alfo  is  merciful."'* 

*  Luke  6.  Chap. 


The  end  of  the  firft  Sermoa. 


SERMON, 


Sermon  II. 


Some  Obje£Hons  againft  the 
Goodnefs  of  GOD  confidered  5 
and  the  Subject  applied  to  the 
Occafion,  with  practical  Infe- 
rences and  Reflexions. 


PSALM     CXLV.  9. 

THE  LORD  is  good  to  all  ;  and 
his  tender  Mercies  are  over  all  his 
Works. 


H^milUHE  firft  thing  propofed  in  handling  this 
$&*###  important  iubjed:,  was, 
T 


cObC 


il#ll w*     Ift-  To  make  fome  obfervations  on  the 
ll^|#wll  goodnefs  of  God  in.  general  :  And  the 

lid.  To  confider  the  extent  and  perfection  of  it, 
according  to  the  reprefentation  in  the  text  :  Wherein 
the  Lord  is  declared  to  be  "  Good  to  all/'  &c. 

These 


54  Objections  againjl   the 

These  things  were  done  in  the  morning.  I  pro- 
ceed therefore,  by  divine  aiTiltance,  without  repeat- 
ing any  thing  fa*d  under  thefe  two  heads,  to  the  third 
propofed  -,  viz. 

Ill^ly-  To  take  a  curfory  notice  of  feme  of  the 
principal  objections  againft  the  divine  goodnefs. 

However  demonfhable  it  may  be  from  certain 
known  and  acknowledged  principles,  that  the  great 
and  glorious  God  is  perfectly  good  ;  cr  how  fre- 
quently and  clearly  fbever  it  may  be  declared  in  the 
holy  fcriptures,  that  he  is  thus  good  ;  yet  it  cannot 
be  denied,  that  there  are  many  things,  both  in  the 
vifible  world,  and  in  the  fcriptures  themfelves,  which 
may,  at  firft  view  at  lead,  have  the  appearance  of 
confiderabje  objections  againft  it.  This  is  not,  indeed, 
a  proper  occafion  for  entering  very  minutely  into  iuch 
matters  as  thefe.  There  is  not  time  for  it,  if  One 
were  fo  difpofed.  But  yet  it  might,  perhaps,  be 
thought  a  material  omiiTion,  if  I  pafled  over  all  the 
difficulties  that  occur  with  reference  to  what  is  afTer- 
ted  in  the  text,  in  total  filence.  And  the  prefent 
feafon  of  the  year  *  itfelf,  fuggefts  one  objection  j 
with  which  I  iliall  therefore  begin. 

t.  Some  have  found  fault  with  the  conftitution  of 
the  world,  or  that  courie  of  nature  which  fubjects  the 
inhabitants  of  this  earth,  both  man  and  bead,  to  the 
extremes  of  heat  and  cold.  A  great  part  of  the  year, 
it  is  faid,  we  are  half  frozen  •,  and  another  consider- 
able part  of  the  year,  we  are  parched  with  exceffive 
heat.  Is  not  this  a  great  infelicity  ?  And  how  came 
fuch  a  courfeof  nature  to  be  eftablifhed,if  the  Author 
of  it  is  "  good  to  all,"  ?  &c. 

Let  it  be  here  briefly  obferved, 

That 
*  December, 


Divine  Goodnefs  conjidered.  55 

That  if  this  is  any  real  fault  or  defect,  it  might  be 
attributed  as  properly  to  a  want  either  of  wifdom  or  of 
power,  as  of  goodnefs.  Why  mould  it  be  imputed 
rather  to  a  defect  of  the  latter,  than  of  either  of  the 
former,  in  the  Author  of  nature  ?         But, 

The  objection  does,  in  effect,  amount  to  no  more 
than  this  :  That  we  are  not  placed  in  lb  agreeable  a 
fituation,  or  in  fo  delightful  a  world,  as  we  may  our- 
felves  imagine  and  defire.  Which,  tho'  true,  is  not 
a  more  iolid  objection  againft  the  goodnefs  of  God, 
rhan  that  we  are  not  angels  inftead  of  men,  and  were 
not  oiiginally  placed  in  heaven  inftead  of  earth  ;  or 
that  there  is  variety  inGod's  works.  That  this  variety 
is  the  coniequence  of  his  being  infinitely  wife  and 
good,  and  therefore  no  objection  againft  either,  was 
obferved  in  the  foregoing  difcourfe.  And  if  that 
which  falls  to  our  lot,  is  not  the  moft  agreeable  fitu- 
ation of  any  ;  yet,  furely,  we  had  not  originally  any 
right  to  a  better.  * 

God  mercifully  provides  us  fewel  and  cloathing 
to  defend  us  from  the  frofts  of  winter,  and  rains  and 
breezes  to  refrefli  us  in  the  heats  of  fummer  ;  there- 
by mitigating  the  feverity,&  the  fuppofed  inconveni- 
ence hi  theie  alternate  extremes.  Befides  ;  this  vi- 
ciffitude  in  the  feafons,the  gradual  changes  from  one 
to  the  other,  are  in  lbme  refpects  very  agreeable. 
This  is  a  pleafing  variety.  According  to  my  own 
taire  at  lea(l3.  it  is  much  more  grateful  than  any  one 
conftant,  uniform,  unvaried  temperature  of  the  air 
would  be.  This  variety  is  probably  much  bcft  upon 
the  whole,  even  for  thofe  that  complain  of  it.  Na- 
turahfts  and  learned  bhyficians  have  made  it  appear 
beyond  doubt,  that  theie  vicifTitudes  in  the  feaibns 
contribute  very  much,  upon  the  whole,  to  the  health, 

(Irength 

*  See  the  7th,  8th  and  9th  obferyatiqas  in  the  proceeding 
ilileourfe,  p.  29,  Szc. 


56  Ob] eft  ions  againft  the 

ftrength  and  vigor  of  mankind,  and  other  terreftrial 
animals  ;  and,  at  the  fame  time,  to  the  promoting  of 
vegetation,  and  the  increafe  of  thofe  fruits,  &c.  which 
are  needed  for  their  fubfiftence.         Moreover  : 

By  means' of  that  particular  oblique  pofition  of  the 
earth's  axis,  from  whence,  in  her  annual  courfe,  this 
variety  in  the  feafons  proceeds,  a  large  proportion  of 
the  earth  is  render'd  habitable,  comfortable  and  fruit- 
ful, which  would  othcrwife  beabfolutely  uninhabita- 
ble, barren  and  defolate.  If  the  fun,  to  fpeak  ac- 
cording to  the  appearance,  did  not  depart  from  the 
equinox/and  alternately  pay  a  friendly  vifit  towards 
the  two  poles,  a  much  greater  part  of  the  earth  about 
and  towards  them,  would  be  uninhabitable  by  ex- 
ceffive  cold  •,  and  the  courfe  of  vegetation  would  be 
intirely  flopped.  At  the  fame  time,  that  part  of  the 
earth  under  and  about  the  equator,  would  be  render'd 
equally  uninhabitable  and  barren,  by  the  fun's  con- 
ftantly  beating  upon  it  :  And,  as  fome  have  com- 
puted, at  leail  five  fi xths  of  the  whole  globe  *  would, 
by  this  means,  .have  been  .  intirely  ufelefs.  There 
would  not  have  been  provifion  made  for  fo  many 
men,  and  other  animals,  by  many  millions,  yea  mil- 
lions of  millions,  if  God  had  placed  the  earth,  and 
given  it  fuch  a  direction,  as  ibme  pcrfons  in  their  pre- 
fumtuous  folly  would  have  had  him  done,  to  pre- 
ftrve  them  from  the  imaginary  inconvenience  of  the 
feafons  !  Thefe  reflexions  on  them  are,  1  think,  fufn- 
cient,  no:  only  to  reconcile  us  bo:h  to  fummer  and 
winter,  but  to  oive  us  exalted  ideas  of  the  infinite 
witdom  and  gooJneis  of  God  in  thefe  vicifTitudes  of 
nature. 

2.  One 

*  Vid.  Dr.  Che yke's  Phil.  Prhi.  of  ReUf  Ch.  V.  Sett, 
25  and  26.  Wher<  there  aft  k -:ny  curious  obierva- 
tions  on  the  fen!'' 


Divine  Goodnefs  conjidered.  57 

2.  One   might  here  naturally  take    occafion  to 
fpeak  of  ftorms  ,tempefts,  droughts,  peftilence,earth- 
quakes,    and  fome  other  phenomena  in  the  natural 
world,   which  fome  perfons  may  confider  as  objecti- 
ons againft  the   goodnefs  of  God.     But  I  mud  only 
obferve   in  general,  that  fome  of  the  foregoing   re* 
marks  on  the  feafons,  are  equally  applicable  to  thefe 
other   appearances.     If  they   render  life  lefs  fecure 
and  comfortable  ;  yet  it  mufl  be   remembered   that 
God,  tho'  infinite  in  goodnefs,  is  not  obliged  to  put 
all  his  creatures  into  fituations  equally   defireable  ; 
efpecially  finful  creatures.    Nay,  infinite  wifdomand 
goodnefs    require   the   contrary.     But  fome  of  the 
things   abovementioned,   evidently    contribute,    irt 
their  places,  to  the  perfection  of  the   natural  world. 
Others  of  them  are  adapted  to  anfwer  the  mod  im- 
portant moral  ends,  considering  the  nature  of  man, 
who  needs  to  have  his  attention  frequently  roufed  to 
religious  and  moral  fubjetts.     And  if  there  are  any  of 
thofe  things,  as  I  am  far  from  thinking  there  are, 
which  are  not  pofitively  beneficial  in  either  of  thefe 
ways  ;  yet  they  at   leaft  proceed  from  fuch  general 
laws  of  nature,  as  are  upon  the  whole  mofl  wife,  good 
and  excellent ;  and  which  could  not,  probably,  be 
broken  in  upon,  or  fufpended   in   their  operations, 
without  great  detriment,  perhaps  deftruction  to  the 
world. 

3.  It  may  be  objected,  that  there  are  many  poifo- 
nous,  and  other  noxious  vegetables  &  animals.    But, 

There  are  alfo  many  natural  means  of  preferva- 
tion  from,  and  remedies  of,  thefe  fuppofed  evils. 
And  moil  things  that  have  certain  poifonous  quali- 
ties, being  properly  prepared  by  the  art  of  the  phy- 
fician  and  chimift,  are  themfelves  the  bell  antidotes 
and  remedies  that  are  known  in  nature, 

H  As 


58  Object  ions   again  ft   the 

As  to  thofe  animals  that  are  troublefbme  &  noxious 
to  mankind,  they  may  yet  enjoy  pleafure  in  life  thera- 
Jllves:  And  who  told  us,  that  they  ought  to  be  wholly 
fubiervient  to  the  happinefs  of  man !  Befk!e3 ;  mankind, 
in  the  prefent  Hate,  actually  need  trials  and  affiicYions, 
as  a  means  of  promoting  their  moral  good,  and  fu- 
ture happinefs.     There  is  no  doubt,  but  that  this  is 
one  end  which  the  infinitely    wife  and  good  Creator 
has,  in  the  production  and  prefervation  of  fuch  ani- 
mals.    It  feems   probable,  from   fome  paffages    of 
fcripture,  that  had  mankind  pcrfevered  in  their  ori- 
ginal innocence,  as  they  would  not  have  needed  fuch 
afflictions,  fo  neither  would  they  have  had  them  ;  the' 
nature  of  the  inferior  creatures  before  the  fall,  hav- 
ing been  different  in  fome  refpecfs  from  what  it  has" 
been   fince.     Nor  is    it  an    impoffible  fuppofition, 
whatever  a  falfe,  minute  and  fpurious  phjlofophy  may 
fuggeft,  that  at  the  "  time  of  the  reftitution  [or  reno- 
"  vation]  of  all  things,  fpoken  of  by  the  mouth  of  all 
"  the  prophets  fince  the  world  began,"  *  thefe  mif- 
chievousand  noxious  creatures  may  ceafe  to  be  fuch. — 
"  The  wolf  alfo  fhall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and   the 
"  leopard  fhall  lie  down  with  the  kid  :   And  the  calf, 
"  and  the  young  lion,    and  the  fading  together,  and 
"  a  little  child  fhall  lead  them.     And  the  cow  and 
cc  the  bear  fhall  fetd^  their  young  ones  fhall  lie  down 
"  together  :  And  the  lion  fhall  eat  ftraw  like  the  ox. 
"  And  the  fucking  child  (hall  play  on  the  hole  of  the 
'"'  afp,  and  the  weaned  child  fhall  put  his  hand  on  the 
"•cockatrice  den.     They  mall  not  hurt   nor  deftroy 
"  in  all  my  holy  mountain  :  For  the  earth    fhall  be 
<c  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  LORD,  as  the  waters 
cc  cover  the  fea."f 

■  4.  What  has  jufl  now  been  faid,  naturally  brings 
to'  mind  another  objection.  How  many  millions  of 
the  inferior  creatures  on   the  earth,  in  the  air  and 

water, 
JJ  Afts  in.  2*  t  Dai,  XI.  6— -9. 


Divine  Goodnefs  confidered.  *g 

water,  feem  to  live  and  die  in  a  miferable  manner, 
preying  continually  on  one  another  •  while  all  of 
them  are,  in  fome  degree,  the  prey  of  man,  who  thos 
fo  much  lefs  and  weaker  than  many  of  them,  yet 
out-wits,  and  fo  plays  the  tyrant  over  them  all  ?  How 
does  it  confift  with  the  goodnefs  of  God,  to  make 
fuch  creatures,  and  leave  them  in  fuch  a  date  ! 

It  may  be  anfwered,  that  thefe  animals,  birds, fifli, 
infedts,  &c.  appear  in  general  to  enjoy  no  imall  de- 
gree of  pleafure  in  life,  while  they  are  preferved  in 
it,  according  to  their  refpeclive  natures  &  capacities. 
The  bountiful  Author  of  nature  feeds  them  all,  and 
fupplies  their  wants.  Leviathan,  and  all  the  watry 
tribes  play,  difport  themfelves,  and  rejoice  for  a  time 
in  the  great  deep,  the  lakes,  ponds  and  rivers.  The 
birds  and  fowles  of  heaven  do  the  like  in  the  air, 
the  water,  or  on  the  earth,  as  fu  its  them  be  ft.  The 
beafts  do  iht  fame  in  the  pallures,  woods  and  forefts. 
The  fmaller  animals,  reptiles,  and  all  infedts  do  the 
like.  And  men  generally  take  a  kind  care  of  do- 
meftic  animals,  and  of  all  'hofe  which  they  either  em- 
ploy in  their  fervice,  or  defign  for  their  food  ;  libe- 
rally feeding  and  feafting  them. 

Most  of  the  untamed  animals,  &c.  die  a  natural 
death  without  fear,  and  probably  without  much  pain, 
when  they  have  run  thro'  the  courfes  and  flages. 
arTigned  to  them  refpectively.  And  as  to  thofe  of 
them  that  become  the  prey  of  man,  or  of  one  ano- 
ther •,  this  is  feldom,  if  ever,  till  they  have  enjoyed 
much  more  pleafure  in  life,  than  they  endure  pain 
in  being  deprived  of  it  :  Efpscially  when  it  is  con- 
fidered, that  their  death  is  commonly  almoft  inftan- 
taneous  ;  and  without  any  fuch  uneafy  reflexions  on 
what  is  pall,  or  apprehenfions  refpecYing  futurity,  as 
mankind  experience,  So  that  all  thefe  living  crea- 
H  2  tures, 


60  ObjeBions  againft  the 

tures,  whether  wild  or  tame,  in  all  probability  enjoy 
a  furplufage  of  pleafurable  fenfations,  according  to 
their  natures  and  capacities  :  And  if  fo,  the  Author 
of  their  being  is  good  and  merciful  to  them.  It 
fhould  likewife  be  confidered,  that  thofe  living  crea- 
tures, which  afford  food  and  fuftenance  to  man,  or  to 
other  creatures,  at  the  expence  of  their  own  lives, 
thereby  do  good  to  their  devour ers  \  and  fo,  in  a  fenfe, 
add  to  the  common  happinefs  even  by  their  tragical 
end. 

But  if  there  are  any  of  them,  which  do  not  enjoy 
a  fhare  of  pleaiure  fuperior  to  their  pains  in  life  and 
death  ;  (an  unsupported  hypothecs)  yet  how  came 
you  to  know,  that  there  is  certainly  an  end  of  all,  or 
any  of  them  at  death?  Who  told  you  that  they  do  not 
tranfmigrate  into,  or  affume  other  bodies  fuccefiively, 
in  which  they  enjoy  life  in  a  more  perfect  manner 
than  in  the  preceeding  ftate  ?  Has  God  plainly  re- 
vealed any  thing  to  the  contrary,  in  his  word  ?  No. 
Does  reafon  difcern  any  impofiibility,  abfurdity,  or 
even  improbability  in  this  fuppofition  ?  Neither  of 
them.  Nay  •,  there  is  fome  natural  and  pofitive 
ground  of  prefumpiion,  or  a  degree  of  probability, 
that  this  is  really  the  truth.  It  is  certain  that  every 
livings  fenfttive  creature,  is  endowed  with  fome  prin- 
ciple diftincl:  from  matter  ;  call  it  foul,  fpirit  or  what 
you  pleafe,  it  is  of  no  confequence.  All  matter,  all 
that  is  properly  and  folely  fuch,  is  evidently  void  of 
animal  life  and  fenfadon,  of  all  feeling  and  perception, 
in  every  degree.  The  living,  fenfitive,  feeling  and 
perceptive  principle,  therefore,  in  all  animals,  infects, 
&c.  is  immaterial,  or  fomething  abfolutely  and  in- 
tirely  diftincl  in  nature  from  matter.  And  this  may 
furvive  the  body,  be  continued  after  the  diffolutwn 
of  the  prefent  organs  of  fenfation,  and  live  in  another 
body,  if  the  Author  of  its  being  pleafes  it  fhould  : 

Tho* 


Divine  Goodnefs  conjtdered.        61 

Tho'  I  do  not  prefume  to  aflert  pofitively,  that  it 
will.  But  there  is  nothing  abfurd,  unfcriptural  or 
irrational  in  the  fuppofition  :  Nay  ;  the  transforma- 
tions, or  tranfmigrations  that  are  actually  obferved  in 
fome  living  creatures,  render  it  credible  in  itfelf,  and, 
in  a  degree,  probable.  But  if  the  fuppofition  is  bare- 
ly a  pojfible  one,  it  is  a  fufficient  anfwer  to  the  ob- 
jection drawn  from  the  fufFerings  of  brutes  and  in- 
fects, againft  the  exprefs  doctrine  of  fcripture,  That 
the  "  Lord  is  good  to  all,"  &c.  Though,  by  the 
way,  if  this  laft,  hypothetical  folution  mould  be  given 
up  as  indefenfible  •,  yet,  as  was  intimated  before,  it 
can  never  be  proved  that  any  one  of  thefe  living 
creatures  endures  either  more,  or  as  much  pain,  as  it 
enjoyed  pleafure,  in  life  and  death. 

5.  It  will  not  be  unnatural  to  proceed  from  hence 
to  that  capital  objection,  which  is  grounded  on  the 
many  fufFerings  and  pains  of  mankind  in  the  prefent 
ftate,  too  well  known  to  need  defcribing. 

To  which  I  anfwer,  That  mankind  alfo  enjoy  many 
pleafures  ;  and,  as  is  generally  fuppofed,  many  more 
than  are  equivalent  to  the  pains  which  they  endure 
in  this  ftate.  If  we  are  fubject  to  difeafes,  the  Author 
of  nature  has  alfo  in  mercy  provided  remedies.  He 
feeds  and  cloaths  us,  and  fupplies  our  natural  wants  ; 
as  to  mod  of  us,  in  a  very  liberal  manner.  Mod  of 
the  pains,  both  mental  and  corporeal,  which  mankind 
futfer  in  this  world,  are  of  their  own  creating  ♦,  they 
are  the  natural  effects  of  intemperance,and  other  vices. 
And  it  would  be  very  injurious  to  object  thefe  againft 
that  goodnefs  of  God,  which  we  thus  abufe  to  our 
own  hurt*  * 

At  lead:  fome  of  the  fufFerings  of  this  life,  are  ju- 
dicial and  corrective  -,  brought  upon  us  by  the  pro- 
vidence 
*  See  page  29,  Remark  6th  of  Serm.  I. 


62  ObjeSiions  againjl  the 

viclence  of  God  for  our  fins,  to  chaftize,  and  thereby 
to  reform  us,  in  order  to  our  prefent  and  future  good. 
And  all  fuch  evils,  as  we  may  call  them  when  conr 
fidered  merely  in  themfelves,  are  actually  effects  of 
the  divine  goodnefs,  inftead  of  being  folid  objections 
againfl  it.  * 

But  there  are  fome  children,  who  are  born,  live, 
and  foon  die,  in  pain  ;  before  they  have  actually  done 
any  evil,  or  committed  any  fault.     Be  it  fo.     But  do 
you  certainly  know,  that  what  they  enjoyed  in  the 
womb  before  their  birth,  was  not  more  than  equiva- 
lent to  what  they  fuffered  at  the  time  of,  or  after  it, 
in  life  and  death  ?  You  have  no  proof  of  this,   how- 
ever poftiive  you  may  be.      But,  allowing  you    to  be 
certain,  as  well  as  confident,  that  thefe  infants  endure 
more  than  they  enjoy,  antecedently  to  their  dying  ; 
yet  are  not  their  fouls  immortal  ?  And  are  they  not 
flill  in  the  hands  of  Him,  who  has  faid,  "  Behold,  all 
cc  fouls  are  mine,  as  the  foul  of  the  father,  fo  alio  the 
"  foul  of  the  fon  is  mine — The  fon  fhall  not  bear  the 
"  iniquity  of  the  father  ?"f    Is  it  not  then,  at  lead 
fuppofable    that  fuch  infants,  never  having  fmned  in 
any  ftri6l  or  proper  fenfe,  go  to  an  happier  date  than 
that,  out  of  which  they  were  taken  ?  And  if  fo,  their 
momentary  pains  here,  are  no  folid  objection  againlt 
the  goodnefs  of  God.     Indeed,  if  there  are  any  per- 
fons  who  alien,  that  befikfe's  thefe  pains,  they  iuner 
the  "  wrath  and  curie"  of  God,  and  ct  the  pains  of 
hell  for  ever  •,"  it  is  doubtlefs  impoffible  to  reconcile 
this,  not  only  with  infinite  goodnefs  and  mercy,  but 
even  with  a  very  fmall  degree  thereof.     To  fuppofe 
that  they  either  properly  committed  any  fin,   long 
before  they  were  conceived  in  the  womb  -,  or  that 
the  fin  of  Adam  and  Eve,  is  or  can  be  fo  imputed  to 

them, 
*  See  p.  25.  Remark  8th  of  Serm.  L 

f  Ezek.   18.  4,  20. 


Divine  Goodnefs  conjtdered.         63 

them,  as  to  render  them  jujily  liable  to  eternal  mifery, 
without  any  offence  of  their  own,  is  one  of  the  grofeft 
of  all  abfurdities.  They  who  are  capable  of  believ- 
ing fuch  unfcriptural  and  irrational  doctrine,  and  of 
thinking  juftice  fo  much  at  variance  with  goodnefs, 
wifdom  and  mercy,  as  this  fuppofes,  are  to  be  pitied 
-as  peribns  of  a  fadly  depraved  judgment.  But  if  it 
were  allowed  that  thefe  "  infants  of  a  fpan  long,5* 
were  juftly  liable  to  eternal  torments,  as  fome  have 
afiferted  •,  yet  upon  their  own  principles,  and  even  ac- 
cording to  their  own  falfe  idea  of  divine  juftice,  God 
may  (hew  mercy  to  them.  They  do  not  pretend  to  fay, 
that  God  is  obliged  to  go  as  far  in  punilhing  as  he 
might  go,  according  to  their  conceptions  of  juflice. 
So  that  thefe  infants,  upon  any  principles  which  fup-i 
pofe  the  immortality  of  the  foul,  may  be  eternal  monu- 
ments of  that  goodnefs  and  mercy,  againft  which 
their  untimely  death  is  thought  an  objection.  And 
the  bare  poffibility  of  this,  is  a  fufticient  anfwer  to 
that  objection,  unlefs  it  could  be  proved  that  fome  of 
diem  are  certainly  devoted  to  future  torment . ; — an 
opinionequally  irrational,uhfcriptural  &  antichriftian. 

6.  It  may  perhaps  be  objected,  that  the  fcripture 
doctiine  of  Chnft's  atonement^  or  facrifice,  is  mcon- 
fiftent  with  what  has  been  laid  concerning  the  per- 
fection of  God's  goodnefs  ;  and  particularly  with  that 
idea  of  it  which  was  given  in  the  preceedingdifcourfe, 
as  comprehending  juftice  in  it  ;  which  latter  is  not 
there  fuppofed  to  be  any  attribute  of  God,  diftinct 
from,  but  one  branch  or  mode  of,  his  erTential  good- 
nefs. If  God  be  thus  perfectly  good  and  merciful  in 
his  nature,  why  did  he  not  forgive  the  fins  of  men 
without  any  facrifice  ?  without  any  reconciliation 
for  fin  ?  efptcially  if  divine  juftice  is  nothing  diftinct 
in  nature  from  divine  goodnefs.  What  occafion  was 
there  for  any  atonement,  upon  thefe  principles  ?-*- 
7  Whereas 


64         ObjeElions  againfl  the 

Whereas  the  fcriptures  conftantly  fuppofe  the  Deed 
of  it  in  order  to  the  pardon  of  fin. 

Upon  the  principles  of  the  foregoing  difcourfe, 
infinite  goodnefs  itfelf,  confidered  in  connection  with 
infinite  wifdom,  requires  that  order,  and  the  higheft 
veneration  for  the  majefly  of  God,  his  laws  and  go- 
vernment, fhonld  be  preserved  amongft  all  his  rea- 
ionable  creatures.     Their  own  good  effentially  de- 
pends upon  it.     And    this  important  end   is  moft 
effectually  attained  by  the  facrifice  of  Chrift,  "  by 
whom  we  have  received  the  atonement."     We  are 
afiured  in  the  holy  fcriptures,  that  God  forgives  the 
fins  of  men  thro*  this  great  facrifice  intervening,  ra- 
ther than  without  any,  not  becaufe  he  is  in  his  own 
nature  deficient  in  goodnefs,  or  not  perfectly  merci- 
ful, but  becaufe  he  is  infinitely  wife  as  well  as  mer- 
ciful ;  taking  fuch  a  method  herein,  as  is  in  its  na- 
ture admirably  adapted  to  "  magnify  the  law,  and 
make  it  honourable  •,"  i.  e.  to  beget  and  preferve  in 
the  minds  of  reafonable  creatures,  a  juftfenfe  of  God's 
authority,  the  dignity  of  his  laws  and  government  : 
Which,  as  was    intimated  before,  is  evidently  beft 
even  for  themfelves.     In  this  fenfe  the  apoftle,  hav- 
ing obferved   that  Chrift  by  the  grace  of  God  tafted 
death  for  every  man,  adds,  "  For  it  became   Him, 
"  for  whom  are  all  things,  &:  by  whom  are  all  things, 
*'  in  bringing  many  fons  unto  glory,  to   make    the 
"  Captain  of  their  falvation  perfect  thro'  fufferings."* 
It  became  his  wifdom,  it  became  his  goodnefs,  it  be- 
came his  mercy,  even  that  very  "  grace  of  God,  by 
which  Chrift  tafted  death   for  every  man."     There 
was  a  fitnefs  and  congruity  in  it,  as  the  wifeft  and  beft 
method  for  faving  finful  men,  without  any  kind  of 
reference  to  that  common,  but  yztftrange  fuppofition, 
of  divine  juftice   being  intircly  diftinct  from  divine 
goodnefs.         Befides  ; 

The 
*  Heb.  XI.  9,  10. 


Divine  Goodnefs  conjtdered.  65 

The  fcriptures  uniformly  fpeak  of  Chrift's  media- 
tion, and  his  dying  for  finners,  as    the  effect,  or  con- 
fequence   of  God's  original   goodnefs   and    mercy, 
"  God  fo  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  be- 
-  gotten  Son,"*'  &c.     "  In  this  was  manifefled  the  love 
"  of  God  towards  us — He  loved  us,  and  fent  his  Son 
"  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our  Jins"f     Thefe  repre- 
fentations  of  Chrift's  dying,  u  the  juft  for  the  unjuft," 
as  confequential  to,  and  the  effecl  of,  God's  love,  mercy 
and  grace,  are  fo  far  from  fuppofing  any  fuch  jnflice 
in  God  as  is  often  ipoken  of,  diftin6t  in  nature  from 
goodnefs,  and  to  fatisfy  which,  it  is  faid,  Chrift  died  ; 
that   they  appear  to  me   abfolutely   irreconcileable 
therewith.     Neither  does  it  feem  even  poffible   to 
affert,  and  folidly   to  maintain,  this  moft  important 
do&rine  of  our  redemption  by  the  blood  of  Chrift, 
but  upon  the  fuppofition  of  its  being  the  wifeft  and 
beft,  i.  e.  the  moft  be'nevolent  and   gracious  method 
of  difpenfing  pardon  and  life  to  finners ;  in  fuch  a 
fenfe  as  wholly  and  forever  to  exclude  any  fuch  idea 
of  divine  juftice,  as  is  often  given  us. — Tho',  by  the 
way,  thefe  things   are  not  faid  by   me,  but  with   aa 
high  veneration  for  thofe  many  wife  and  excellent 
men,  who  either  have,  or  feem  to  have,  different  con* 
ceptions  of  this  matcer.         But, 

7.  How  fhall  we  reconcile  the  fuppofition  of  God's 
leaving  the  whole  heathen  world  to  unavoidable  and 
eternal  mifery,  with  infinite  goodnefs  and  mercy  ? 

To  this  it  will  be  fi:*ricient  to  anfwer  in  genera], 
firft,  That  it  is  by  no  means  a  clear  and  certain  point, 
either  from  reafon  or  revelation,  that  all  the  heathen 
will  actually  be  miferable  in  the  world  to  come  :  And,  . 
fecondly,  That  if  they  (hall  be  fo,  they  will  be  punifh- 
ed  only  for  their  fins  \  a-nd  in  due  meaiure  only.    And  : 

I  to 

*  John  3.   16.  t  1  John  IV.  9,  10. 


66  Qbje&ions   a  gain  ft  the 

to  puniih  them  thus,  is   not,   certainly,    inconfiftent 
with  the  moft  perfect  goodnefs. 

8.  What  fnall  we  lay  to  the  doctrine  of  God's 
having  reprobated  a  great  proportion  of  mankind  > 
or,  from  eternity  devoted  them  in  his  abfolute  deciee 
and  purpofe,  to  eternal  torments,  without  any  refpect 
or  regard  to  any  fins  of  theirs,  as  the  procuring 
and  meritorious  caufe  of  their  perdition  ?  and  this, 
at  the  fame  time,  to  make  manifeft  and  glorify  his 
justice  !  What  can  be  faid  to  this  ?  and  how  fhall 
it  be  reconciled  with  the  fuppofition,  that  God's  ten- 
der mercies  are  over  all  his  works  ? 

Twill  tell  you,  in  a  very  few  words,  what  I  have 
to  fay  to  it  at  prefent.  And  that  is,  firft,  That  if 
any  perfons  really  hold  fuch  a  doctrine,  neither  any 
man  on  earth,  nor  angel  in  heaven,  can  reconcile  it 
with  the  goodnefs  of  God.  And,  fecondly,  1  hat.  I 
have  not  my  felf  the  lead  inclination  to  attempt  a  re- 
conciliation of  thefe  doctrines  ;  being  periwaded, 
that  they  are  j aft  as  contrary  as  light  and  darknels, 
Chrift  &  Belial  ; — that  one  of  them  is  moft  true  and 
fcriptural,  joyful  to  man, and  honourable  toGod  •,  and 
the  other  moft  falfe  and  unfcriptural,  horrible  to  the 
laft  degree,  to  all  men  of  an  undepraved  judgment, 
and  blafphemous  againlt  the  God  of  heaven  and 
earth.  Neither  is  it  poiTible  for  any  man,  who  really 
believes  what  the  fcriptures  teach  concerning  the 
goodnefs  of  God,  even  to  think  of  this  other  e.octrine, 
but  with  great  indignation.         But, 

9.  How  can  what  the  holy  fcriptures  unqueftion- 
ably  teach,  refpecting  the  greatnefs  of  the  punifhment 
of  thofe  who  die  impenitently  under  the  gofpel,  be 
reconciled  with  God's  goodnefs  &  mercy  as  declared 
in  the  fame  fcriptures  .p     To-  this  it  is  anfwered, 

1.  That 


Divine   Goodnefs  confidered.         67 

I.  That  God  certainly  exercifes  great  goodnefs 
and  mercy  towards  fuch  finners  in  this  world  •,  not 
only  in  lupplying  their  temporal  wants,  but  in  afford- 
ing them  fuch  means  of  knowledge  and  eternal  hap- 
pinefs,  as  nothing  but  their  own  wilful  blindnefs  and 
perverfenefs  can  render  ineffectual  to  that  end.  All 
are  invited  and  perfwaded,  in  the  mod  gracious  and 
pathetic  terms, to  accept  of  eternal  life,  thro'  Him  that 
"  crave  hirhfelf  a  ranfom  for  all." 

o 

2  It  is  not  inconfiftent  with  the  mod  perfect 
goodnefs,  efpecially  in  certain  cafes,  to  punifh  wicked 
men.  No  earthly  fovereign  is  accounted  the  iefs  good 
or  merciful  for  punifhing  rebels,  traitors  and  felons 
even  capitally,  wnen  the  fupport  of  his  government, 
and  the  common  good  of  his  kingdom  require  it. 
Nay,  mould  he  neglect  to  do  it  in  this  cafe,  he  would 
be  the  lefs  good  and  merciful  ;  becaufe  it  would  be 
a  fort  of  cruelty  to  his  other  fubjects  :  At  bed  it 
would  be  a  great  weaknefs  in  hirn.  Why  then  mould 
God,  the  great  and  only  Potentate,  be  thought  the 
lefs  good  or  merciful  for  inflicting  fuch  punifhment 
on  wicked  men,  as  the  fupport  of  his  govern ment,and 
the  great  end  thereof,  cail  for  ?  Goodnefs,  perfect 
goodnefs,  nay,  tender  mercy  itfelf  requires  this  :  God 
would  not  be  perfectly  good- and  merciful,  if  he  did 
not  inflict  fuch  punifhment,  how  terrible  foever  in  its 
nature  and  duration,  as  is  requifite  to  this  end. 

3.  The.  light  of  nature  afcertains  neither  the 
kind,  the  degree,  nor  the  duration  of  that  punifh- 
ment, which  is  neceffary  to  be  inflicted  on  the  wicked 
in  another  world,  in  order  to  the  due  fupport  of 
God's  government  •,  or,  in  other  words,  in  order  to 
the  attaining  the  good,  great  and  glorious  end  there- 
of. Men  may,  if  they  pleafe,  prefume  and  be  con- 
fident, that  this  or  that,  and  no  more,  is  neceffary  in 

I  2  order 


68  ObjeElions   againjl  the 

order  to  the  end  propofed  ;  and  therefore  conclude, 
not  unjuftly,  if  the  premifes  were  true,  that  no  more, 
greater  or  more  durable  pains  and  penalties,  will  be 
inflicted.  But  after  all  this  confidence,  mere  human 
reafon  is  as  inadequate  a  judge  of  the  matter,  as  a 
child  of  ten  years  old  is,  what  courfe  his  King  ought 
to  take  with  thofe  that  have  broken  the  Jaws.  The 
light  of  nature  leaves  mankind  altogether  as  much 
in  the  dark  in  one  cafe,  as  this  child's  reafon  leaves 
him  in  the  other.  Which,  by  the  way,  fhews  the 
necefiity  of  an  exprefs  revelation  from  heaven,  if  it 
Were  only  to  give  finners  the  ajfurance  of  a  -pardon. 

4.  Tke  obvious  conclufion  from  thefe  principles, 
is,  that  it  becomes  us  to  fit  down  contented  with 
what  God  has  actually  revealed,  reflecting  this  fub- 
ject.  He,  and  only  He,  knows  particularly,  how  great 
or  durable  punilhments  are  nccefTary  to  aniwer  the 
good  ends  of  his  univerfal  government  ;  or  how  it 
becomes  infinite  wifdom  and  goodnefs  to  diipofe  of 
(infill  creatures.  Human  reafon  knows  not  what  is 
wifeft  and  befl  in  this  cafe.  So  that,  1  fee  not  what 
any  lober  man  has  to  do  in  it,  but  to  info/m  himfelf 
what  the  real  doctrine  of  fcripture  upon  the  fubject  is ; 
and  to  acquiefce  in  whatever  God  has  declared  to  be 
his  purpofe.  Whatever  that  be,  we  may  reft  aiTured 
that  it  is  at  once  moil  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  for 
the  good  of  his  univerfal  kingdom  \  fuch  punifhment 
as  it  becomes  the  God  and  Father  of  all  to  inflict. 
For  "  fhall  not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right !" 

Having  faid  thus  much  concerning  the  future 
punifhment  of  wicked  men,  the  duration  of  which, 
you  know,  is  divers  times  expreffed  by  the  words, 
eternal,  everlafting,  for  ever  and  ever,  and  the  like  •,  it 
is  needlefs  to  fuijjoin  any  thing  particularly  about  that 
of  the  rebel-angels  :  For  the  fame  principles  and 
general  way  of  reafoning,  are  equally  applicable  to 
both.  There 


Divine  Goodnefs  confidered.         69 

There  is  no  juft  and  Efficient  caufe  to  doubt, 
either  from  any  appearances  in  nature,  or  from   any 
real  doctrine  of  revelation,  but  that  God  is  good  and 
merciful  in  the  higheft  conceivable  fenfe.     But  there 
are  pofitive,  conclufive  and  demonftrative  proofs  of 
his     being  fo.     Let  me    add    here,    that     if   this 
doctrine  of  the  perfect  goodnefs  of  God,  is  not  ftrictly 
true  in  the  higheft  imaginable  fenfe,  ftho'  1  almoft 
tremble  even  at  making  fuch  a  fuppofition,  which  I 
abhor  as  impious,)  there  is  not  fufficient  ground  for 
an  unreferved  truft  and  confidence  in  him.     For   if 
he  may  be  fuppofed  to  act  unreasonably,  cruelly,  or 
contrary  to  the  dictates  of  goodnefs  in  any  one  cafe, 
why  not  in  others  ?  why  not  in  many  ?  why  not  in 
any  fuppofed  cafe  ?  Where   then    is  your  fafety  ? 
"What  Security  has  any  man  on  earth,  or  angel  in  hea- 
ven, that  he  mail  not,  even  without  reafon,  without 
jufl  caufe,  become  the  object  of  God's  infupportable 
wrath  !  Will  you  fay,  that  you  are  effectually  fecured 
by  his  own  gracious  promife  ?  But  what  firm,  unre- 
ferved confidence  can  be  placed  in  his  word  and  pro- 
mife, unlefs  he  is  fuppofed  to  be  perfectly  good  and 
faithful  ?  If  he  is  not  fo,  he  may  deceive  you  ;  and, 
inftead  of  exalting  you  to  heaven  hereafter,  "  thruft 
you  down  to  hell !"  If  he  deals  arbitrarily,  capricioufly 
•and  cruelly   by  others,  may  he  not  do  the  fame  by 
you,  notwithflanding  his  fuppofed  word  and  promife  ? 
No  doubt  :  For  any  being  that  acts  fuch   a  part  in 
one  cafe,  may  do  the  like   in  another.     Where  then 
.  is  your  "  Rock"  of  peace  ?  On  what  is   your  hope, 
your  confidence  grounded,  upon  the  prefent  fuppofi- 
tion ? — Alas  !  on  nothing  better   than  the  word  and 
promife  of  a  being,  who  is  capable  of  acting  unrea- 
sonably, arbitrarily  and  cruelly  •,  or   contrary  to  the 
dictates    of  goodnefs  ! — A  miferable  fupport    to  Att 
immortal  foul,  that  mud  be  either  happy  or   mifc?f- 
able  while  it  exifts,  and  is  abfolutely  dependent  upon 

Him 


70  tte  Application 

Him  that  made  it  ! — It  is,  therefore,  at  leaft  for  the 
inter  eft  of  all,  that  God  fhould  be  as  perfectly  good 
and  merciful,  as  he  has  been  reprefented  :  Which, 
tho'  it  is  no  direct  proofs  is  yet  fufficient  to  fhew,  that 
no  man  can  in  reaion  be  prejudiced  againft  this  doct- 
rine, or  have  any  diflike  to  it,  even  upon  fuppofition 
that  he  does  not  at  prefcnt  fee  fufficient  evidence  of 
it.  Tho',  how  any  One  can  poffibly  doubt  of  it,  and 
yet  believe  the  holy  fcriptures,  is  quite  unaccounta- 
ble. For  is  it  not  therein  declared — "  The  Lord  is 
"  good  to  all,  and  his  tender  mercies  are  over  all 
"  his  works  ?"         But  I  proceed, 

IV.  To  make  fome  application  of  this  fubject,  by 
reminding  you  more  particularly  of  the  great  good- 
nefs  of  God  to  Us,  both  in  temporal  and  fpiritual 
refpects  •,  and  by  fuch  inferences  and  reflexions,  as 
may  at  once  tend  to  the  honor  of  God,  and  fhew 
what  influence  the  consideration  of  his  goodncis, 
ought  to  have  upon  your  hearts  and  manners. 

Now,  if  we  confider  ourfelves  as  Men,  we  aie  a 
diitinguifhed  order  of  creatures*  and  under  great  ob- 
ligations to  our  Creator.  However  inferior  we  may 
be  to  many  creatures  in  other  parts  of  the  univerfe  ; 
(inferior  indeed  !)  yet  there  is  no  preemption,* 
no  vanky  in  faying,  that  we  are  much  fuperior  to 
any  of  the  other  inhabitants  of  this  world.  For  which 
pre-eminence  of  nature  and  rank,  we  are  indebted 
only  to  Him  that  made  us  thi's ;  "  of  whom,  and 
thro'  whom,  and  to  whom  are  all  things." 

If  we  confider  ourfelves,  in  the  next  place,  as  crea- 
tures redeemed  from  fin  and  death  by  the  Son  of  God 
in  human  fiefh,  we  are  (till  more  wonderfully  favour- 
ed and  diitinguifhed.  God  is  in  Chrift  reconciling, 
not  a  comparatively  fmall  part  of  mankind  to  him- 

felf, 


of  the  SubjeSt.  7  c 

felf,  according  to  the  reprefentations  of  fome,  but'the 
"  World"  itfelf.  For  Chrift  "  is  the  propitiation — 
for  the  fins  of  the  whole  world."  And  it  4C  pleafed 
the  Father — by  him  to  reconcile  all  things  unto 
himfelf,  by  him,  I  fay,  whether  things  in  earth,  or 
things  in  heaven." — "  Behold,  what  manner  of  love 
the  Father  hath  beflowed  upon  us,"  in  this  refpect  ! 

If  we  confider  ourfelves  as  having  been  born  and 
brought  up  in  the  ihriftian  world,  had  the  advantages 
of  a  religious  education,  and  "  even  from  children 
known  tne  holy  fcriptures,  which  are  able  to  make 
us  wife  unto  falvation  •,"  we  muft  acknowledge  the 
particular  kindnefs  &  goodnefs  of  God  to  us  in  thefe 
regards.  Had  we  been  born  in  a  land  of  Pagan  or 
Mahometan  darknefs,  or  had  we  been  born  and  edu- 
cated Jews  •,  we  might  probably  have  been  Pagans, 
Mahometans  or  Jews  to  this  day  :  Whereas  we  are 
now  Chridians,  by  profeffion  at  lead  -,  and  if  we  are 
not  practically  fuch,  the  fault  is  our  own. 

We  are  dill  farther  didinguifhed  and  favoured  of 
God,  by  having  been  born  and  bred  in  a  proteftant 
country,  and  a  reformed  part  of  the  chridian  church  ; 
inftead  of  a  roman -catholic  country,  &  in  the  errors, 
fu perditions  and  idolatries  of  the  church  of  Rome. 
For  had  the  latter  been  our  lot,  we  mould  probably, 
the  mod  of  us,  have  been  enflaved  to  thofc  delufions, 
"  and  the  papal  tyranny  to  this  day.  And  thofe  of  us, 
whom  God  mould  have  given  light  and  courage  e- 
nough  to  caft  them  off,  might  have  fuffered  a  cruel 
perlecution,  and  "  for  conicience  towards  God  en- 
dured grief  ;"  as  protedants  now  do,  even  in  France 
itlelf,  from  a  pretended  mod  polite,  humane  and  re- 
fined, but  really  barbarous  people  in  fome  refpedb. 
And  yet  they  are  by  far  the  lead  bigotted  to  the  pa- 
pacy, of  any  roman-catholic  nation  ! 

If 


72  The   Application 

If  wc  confider  ourfelves  as  Britifh  fubje&s,  and  en- 
titled to  the  liberties  and  privileges  of  fuch,  both 
civil  and  facred  •,  we  muft  acknowledge  that  provi- 
dence has,  in  this  refpecl,  favoured  us  above  moft 
other  proteftants  :  Very  few  of  whom,  I  might  per- 
haps fay  none,  live  under  fo  happy  and  excellent  a 
form  of  government  as  ourfelves. 

We  are  alfo  favoured  of  God,  the  univerfal 
Sovereign,  in  having  a  good  King,  as  well  as  an  excel- 
lent conftitution  of  government.  Bad  Kings  may 
prove  a  fore  fcourge  even  in  a  free  government,  tho* 
there  is  an  old  paradox, that  they  "  can  do  no  wrong  ;'* 
of  which  our  own  nation  had  repeated  and  dreadful 
experience,  before  the  ever-memorable  and  glorious 
revolution.  Since  that,  we  have  had  goodPrinces  : 
And  his  prdent  Majefty  is  doubtlefs  one  of  the  beft- 
intentionM  Monarchs  in  the  world.  We  may  fay, 
upon  good  grounds,  that  "  becaufe  the  Lord  loved 
us,  therefore  made  he  him  King  over  us,  to  do  juftiee 
and  judgment."  This  he  has  hitherto  done  \  and 
will  doubtlefs  continue  to  do  it,  if  the  Achitophels  and 
Machiavels.  are  kept  from,  and  poflibly  even  tho* 
they  fhou.ld  furround,  the  throne. 

We  muft  farther  acknowledge  the  goodnefs  of 
God  in  lately  giving  the  King  a  Son  and  Heir  ;  and 
thereby  confirming  to  all  his  loyal  fubje&s,  the  agree- 
able hopes  of  the  proteftant  fucceffion  being  perpe- 
tuated in  his  illuftrious  houfe. — Heaven  preierve  the 
King,  the  Queen  and  the  royal  Infant  :  The  two 
former,to  be  illuftrious  examples  of  conjugal  affection 
and  happinefs  •,. — of  all  piety  and  virtue,  not  only  to 
their  own  fubjecls,  but  to  other  Kings  and  Queens  : 
And  the  latter,  to  inherit  his  Father's  virtues  with 
his  throne,  whenever  it  fhali  pleafe  Him  who  "  ruleth 
iri  the  kingdom  of  men,"  to  exalt  the  One  above, 
and  raife  the  Other  to  it  \ 

We 


of  the  SabjeSi.  73 

We  are,  moreover,  to  acknowledge  the  goodnefs 
of  God  in  continuing  to  fucceed  the  King's  aims,  in 
the  courfe  of  the  year  paft,  after  having  crowned  them 
with  fo  many  iliuftrious  fucceifes  and  victories  for  fe- 
veral  years  before.     Two   very   fignal   acquifuions 
have  been  made  by    the  Britifh  urns,  fince  our  laft 
annual    thankigiving  ; — thofe   of  Martinico   and 
the   Havannah.     And   fince   theie,   the   principal 
place  in  Newfoundland,  which  the  enemy  had  in 
fuch  a  myfienous  manner  poffeflld  themfelves  of,  has 
been  refcued  out  of  their  hands.     This  important 
recovery  was  effected  with  admirable   difpatch  and 
faclity,  highly  to  the   honor  of  thofe   who  had  the 
immediate  planning,  conduct  and  execution   of  the 
enterprize.    And,  upon  the  whole,  we  have  the  great- 
eft   reaibn    to   expect  an  honorable,    advantageous 
and  lafting  peace      For  I  will  not— cannot  fuppofc, 
that  either  folly  or  pufillanirmty,  private  avarice   or 
treachery,  in  the  cabinet,  will  relinquiih  thofe  figna! 
advantages  which   wifdom  and   valor,  which    public 
fpirit  and  loyalty  obtained  in    the  field,  and  on  the 
mighty  ocean,  thro5  Him  that  has  "rode  upon  the  hea- 
vens for  our  help,andin  his  excellency  upon  the  fkies  */* 
tho'  fimilar  things  have  been  done  in  former  reigns  !* 

If  we  come  to  our  own  country  in  particular  «,  we 

have  he;e  enjoyed,  of  late,  almoit  all  tho  blefTings  of 

peace,  in  a  time  of  war  &  tumuli  among  the  nations 

of  Eurone.     We  have  alfo  been  favoured  with  gene- 

K  rfd 

*  N.  B.  Since  the  delivery  of  this  clifcourfe,  we  have  had 
the  important  advices  of  the  King  of  PrufBa's,  Prince 
Henry's  and  Prince  Ferdinand's  fuccefles  ',  of  the  Spaniards 
retreat  out  of  Portugal,  and  the  ngning  the  Prelimina- 
ries for  a  Peace  betwixt  Great  Britian  and  Portugal  or* 
one  fide,  and  France  and  Spain  on  the  other.  But  it  wa 
tho't  proper  to  leave  the  paragraph  above,  as  it  wa^ 
delivered — May  the  God  of  peace  and  love  perj^ft  thp 
good  wPxk  cf  peace  thus  begun  1  w  mm 


7+  PraBkal  Inferences 

ral  Health.  Our  invaluable  civil  rights  and  privileges 
are  preTerved  to  vis.  I  do  not  lay,  that  they  have 
even  been  flruck  ar,  in  any  inftance  or  degree— But 
if  they  have,  they  are  not  wrefted  from  us  :  And  m/y 
righteous  heaven  blaftthe  defigns,  tho*  not  the  foul  or 
the  body  of  that  man,  whoever  he  be  amongtt  us, 
that  fhall  have  the  hardinefs  and  prefumption  K) 
attack  them  ! 

Let  me  add,  that  tho'  we  were  vifited  with  a 
pretty  fevere  drought  in  the  fummer  pail,  yet  the 
rains  which  fucceeded,  came  fofeafonably,  and  in  fnch 
competent  meafure,  that  there  is  a  fupply  of  the  ne- 
ceflaries,  and  very  many  of  the  comforts  of  life  :  So 
that,  to  fay  the  leaft,  there  is  no  danger  of  famine 
or  diftrefs  amongft  us  for  want  of  them.  And  we 
have  alfo  been,  and  fliii  are,  greatly  favoured  in  the 
temperate  and  moderate  weather,  continued  this  year 
lo  much  beyond  the  ufual  time  :  Which  is,  in  divers 
refpects,  a  great  mitigation  of  the  calamity  in  the 
drought  before-mentioned. 

Thus,  my  brethren,  I  have  briefly  reminded  you 
of  fome  of  the  many  inftances  of  God's  goodnefs  to 
mankind  in  general,  and  to  ourfelves  in  particular  : 
All  which  it  becomes  us  gratefully  to  acknowledge 
to  the  glory  of  Him,  who  is  "  good  to  all,  and  whofe 
tender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works."  It  now  re- 
mains,to  draw  fome  practical  inferences  &  inftrnitions 
from  this  fubjecl.  It  affords  many  important  ones  : 
And,  indeed,  I  (hall  mention  a. considerable  number, 
tho'  but  briefly,  for  fear  of  being  tedious.     And, 

i.  The  confideration  of  God's  goodnefs,  fhews 
the  reafon  and  proper  ground  of  love  to  God,  anel 
complacency  in  him.  To  love,  or  delight  in  an  evil, 
cruel,  arbitrary  and  unrighteous  being,  as  fuch,  is  im- 

pofilbk 


and  InJiruStlons.  75 

poflible  to  any,  except  unreafbnable  and  depraved 
minds.  But  fuch  a  being  as  God  is  reprefented  in 
fcripture  ;  One  ib  good  and  meciful  to  Ail,  muft 
needs  be  loved  by  every  perfon  that  is  not  hirnielf 
unreafonable,  corrupt  and  depraved  to  a  mon- 
ftrous  degree.  For  what  is  it  but,  I  had  almofl  faid, 
infinite  foliy,  perverfenefs  and  wickedncfs,  not  to  love 
infinite,  goodncfs  ! 

2.  What  has  been  faid  concerning  the  divine 
goodncfs,  as  comprehending  juftice,  and  the  other 
moral  perfections  of  God  in  it  •,  fhews  that  he  ought 
to  be  loved  on  account  of  thefe  alio.  That  is,  he  is 
to  be  loved,  confidered  under  the  character, not  mere- 
ly of  a  benevolent  Being,  in  the  common  reftrained 
fenle  of  the  word  benevolence  \  but  under  the 
character  of  a  mod  holy,  juft  and  righteous,  as  well 
as  kind  and  beneficent  Being.  God's  moral  character 
is  to  be  taken  all  together  ;  thefeveral  branches  of  it 
are  to  be  confidered  as  united  by  and  in  the  bond  of 
love,  and  infeparably  connected  with  infinite  wiidom. 
And  then,  God  h  to  be  loved  as  a  Being  of  fuch  a, 
character  •,  a  character,  in  its  own  nature  infinitely 
amiable.  Nor  is  there  any  true,  proper  and  genuine 
io/e  to  God,  but  what  refpects  him  in  the  whole  of 
this  character.  Even  wicked  men  may  and  do,  often 
at  leait,  love  him  as  a  kind,  bountiful  and  merciful 
Being,  in  a  reftrained,  partial  fenfe  of  thofe  words, 
while  they  hate  him  confidered  as  a  juft,  righteous 
and  holy  One.  But  this  is  not  to  love  God  in  the 
fenfe  of  fcripture.  Good  men,  and  only  fuch,  love 
him  as  the  fource  and  centre  of  all  moral  perfection 
in  general. 

3.  Hence  it  is  eafy  to  fee,  not  only  the  reafon  why, 
to  love  God  is  fpoken  of  as  the  firft  and  greateft  of 
$11  the  commandments  ;  but  alfo  the  ground  cf  that 

K  2  intire 


76  PraElkal  Inferences 

ifttife  and  ardent,  I  had  almoft  faid,  that  infinite  and 
boundlefs  love  to  him,  which  is  required  of  us.  For 
if  God  is  indeed  iuch  a  Being  as  the  fcriptures  re- 
prefent  him,  it  is  at  once  manifeit  that  we  ought  to 
love  him  firit  and  laft  \  and  not  only  fincerely,  but  "with 
all  our  heart  &  with  all  our  foul,  with  all  our  ftrength. 
and  with  all  our  mind."  Even  of  luch  a  love  irom 
all,  that  Being  is  manifeftly  the  proper  object,  who 
is  himfelf  "  good  to  all,  arid  whofe  tender  mer- 
cies are  over  all  his  works."  And  the  more  largely 
God  has  caufed  us  to  partake  of  his  goodnefs,  whe- 
ther in  temporal  or  fpintual  regards,  the  ftronger  is 
our  obligation  to  love  him  thus  -,  and  the  more  in- 
excufable  we  are,  if  we  do  not. 

4.  From  hence  we  may  clearly  fee  the  reafon,  why, 
to  "  love  our  neighbour  as  ourfelves,"  is  fpoken  of 
by  our  Saviour  as  the  next,  the  fecond  commandment* 
and  like  unto  the  fifffi  •,  why  love  is  reprefented  as  the 
<c  fulfilling  of  the  law,"  &c.  For  if  God  is  thus  good, 
it  is  evident  that,  next  to  loving  himfelf,  he  muft 
require  his  intelligent  creatures  to  love  one  another  ; 
and  this  as  the  fum  of  all  the  duties  which  they  mu- 
tually owe  to  each  other.  No  particular  duty  of  the 
moral  law,  I  mean,  of  the  fecond  table,  can  naturally 
and  reafonably  claim  fuch  a  pre-eminence,  fuch  a 
glorious  precedence  in  the  order  of  offices,  as  chanty, 
which  does  in  a  fort  comprehend  them  all  •,  even  as 
God's  goodnefs  comprehends  his  other  moral  per- 
fections. And  love  muft  needs  be  the  fupreme,  uni- 
verfal,  unchangeable  law  of  fuch  a  Being,  to  all  his 
reafonable  creatures  :  to  ang-els  in  htaven,  as  well  as 
men  on  earth  ;  and  to  creatures  inferior  to  men, 
if  any  fuch  there  are,  capable  fubjects  of  moral  go- 
vernment y  as  it  is  highly  probable  there  are. 

5.  From 


and  InflruElions.  77 

5.  From  hence  appears  the  unreafonablenefs,  and 
great  fin  of  indulging  anger,  revenge,  difpropon  ion- 
ate  refentment,  and  an  implacable  fpint  \  together 
with  the  wifdom  and  importance  of  thofe  numerous 
precepts  in  the  gofpel,  relative  to  meeknefs,  forbear- 
ance, forgiving  injuries,  and  the  like.  Tne  in- 
dulgence of  any  of  thole  paflions,  any  farther  than 
may  realbnably  be  fuppofed  conducive  to  fome  po- 
fitively  good  end,  is  not  merely  contrary  to  the  fpirit 
and  precepts  of  the  gofpel,  but  't  renders  men  pecu- 
liarly unlike  to  the  infinitely  good  &  merciful  God. 
Nor  is  there  any  thing  greater,  more  glorious  and 
god-lik~,  than  to  love  them  tuat  hate  us,  and  to  do 
good  to  them  that  defpitefully  ufe  us.  Neither  is  it 
without  a  very  pecular  emphafis,  that  He  who  died 
for  us  as  finners  and  enemies,  enjoins  us  to  do  thus, 
"  that  we  may  be  the  children  of  our  Father  in  hea- 
ven, who  is  himfelf  good  to  the  unthankful  and  to 
the  evil." 

6.  It  may  from  hence  be  inferred,  that  all  God's  par- 
ticular commandments,  a3  diftinguimed  from  thofe 
two  grand,  mod  fundamental  &  compreheniive  ones 
before-meniioned,  are  not  only  holy  an  J  juft,  but 
good  ;  actually  kind  and  beneficial  in  their  nature, 
defign  and  tendency  ;  adapted  to  promote  the  great 
end  of  his  univcrial  government,  the  good  of  his 
creatures,  and  therein  his  own  glory  ■!  For  thele  are 
inseparably  connected  Or,  if  any  chufe  rather  to 
exprefs  it  thus, — That  God's  view  is,  to  promote  his 
cwn  glory  by  doing  goed,  making  the  latter  the  means y 
and  the  former  the  end  \  I  have  no  objection,  except 
that  it  may,  perhaps,  feem  to  reprefent  him  rather  as 
an  ambitious  Being,  whodefires  the  praife&  homage 
of  his  creatures,  than  an  infinitely  good  One,  who 
aims  at  making  them  happy  without  any  felfijh  end, 
incompatible  with  a  perfect  character,  and  with  ab- 

folute 


7  8  PraBtical  Inferences 

folutefelf-fufHcience — But  I  offer t  nothing  upon  this 
point.  However  that  may  be,  yet  it  is  certain  that 
none  of  the  commands  of  a  perfectly  good  and  mer- 
ciful Being,  can  be  mere  arbitrary  injunctions  and 
impofitions,  without  any  good  end  :  Much  lefs  can 
they  have  a  contrary  tendency.  Of  this  we  may  be 
certain  in  general,  even  tho'  we  mould  not  be  able 
particularly  to  difctrn  the  benevolent  defign  and  ten- 
dency cf  fome  of  God's  revealed  commands ;  as,for  ex- 
ample, fome  branches  of  the  ceremonial  law.  There 
is  nogoodreaion  to  doubt,  but  that  they  were  all  wife- 
ly and  kindly  intended.  And  as  to  all  the  precepts 
of  chriltianity  without  exception,  One  need  not  Tem- 
ple to  fay  pofitivcly,  that  the  good  end  and  tendency 
of  them  is  eafily  and  clearly  difcernable. 

7.  We  learn  from  hence,  how  liberal,  ingenuous 
and  chearful,  as  well  as  how  univerfal  an  obedience 
they  who  believe  in  God,  ought  to  yield  to  his  com- 
mandments. Does  it  become  us,  my  brethren,  to 
obey  Him  with  reluctance,  and  grutchingly,  who  is 
good  to  all,  and  all  whole  commandments  are  in 
their  very  nature  kind  and  good,  as  if  we  were  obey- 
ing a  tyrant,  or  cruel  tafk-mafter,  who  cared  not  what 
became  of  us,  fo  that  his  own  felfifh  ends  were  but 
anfwered  ?  If  God  governs  us  according  to  the  rules 
of  wifdom  and  benevolence,  even  as  a  father  doth  his 
children,  only  in  an  infinitely  mere  gracious  and  per- 
feci  manner,  fhould  our  obedience  be  gloomy,  reluct- 
ant, fertile  and  flavifh,  as  if  we  only  feared  a  Bajlile 
and  the  torture  !  How  incongruous  were  this  !  Such 
an  obedience  may  be  fuitable  enough  for  fome  nations 
ro  pay  to  the  edicts  of  their  tyrannical  and  cruel 
Monarchs  •,  but,  furely,  it  is  altogether  unbecoming 
chriftiaris  to  their  God,  their  Father  in  heaven  !  Your 
obedience  to  Him  ought  to  be,  in  the  highefl  fenfe, 
liberal,  chearful,  filial,  joyful.     It  becomes   you,  in 

other 


and   InftruElions.  79 

other  words,  to  be  cc  followers  of  God  as  dear  chil- 
"  dren  •,  and  to  walk  in  love,  as  Chrift  alfo  hath  loved 
"  us,  and  given, himfelf  for  us,  an  offering,  and  a 
ft  facrihxe  to  God,  for  a  fweet-fmelling  favour."* 
This  is  the  (pint  of  genuine  chriiiianity  ;  the  defign, 
tendency  ami  fruit  of  the  gofpel.  Whoever  is  wholly 
-a  ftranger  to  this,  does  not  yet  "  know  the  grace  of 
God  in  truth, "  how  often  foever  he  may  have  read  or 
heard  the  gofpel.  For  fays  our  Lord,  "  If  ye  con- 
"  tinue  in  my  word,  then  are  ye  my  difciples  indeed  : 
"  And  ye  mail  know  the  truth,  and  tne  truth  /half 
"  mch  you  fret — Ye  fhall  be  free  indeed  "-f 

8.  All  parents  mould  copy  after  the  goodnefs  of 
God,  our  heavenly  Father,  in  providing  for,  and  go- 
verning their  children.  They  are  unnatural  parents 
indeed,  who  do  not  love  their  own.  offspring  :  God 
is  good  and  merciful  to  all  his.  Bur,  as  has  been  ob- 
ferved,  God's  goodnefs  is  not  a  blind  fondnefs,  or 
mere  inltinctive  benevolence  :  It  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  reafon,  and  under  the  direction  of  wifdom 
in  all  its  operations.  Under  a  fimilar  direction  fhould 
the  love  and  affections  of  all  parents  be.  They 
ought  to  look  forward  to  coniequences,  to  confult 
the  real  good  of  their  children,  and  purfue  that  as 
their  object  ;  on  one  hand,  by  gratifying,  as  far  as 
may  be,  all  their  reafonabie  deiires,  and  on  the  other, 
by  oppofing  fuch  as  are  unreafonable,  vicious  and 
hurtful  ;  not  indulging  them  in  any  wrong  way  ; 
not  fparing  reproof,  or  even  correction,  when  thac 
is  really  neceffary  to  anfwer  the  benevolent  end  pro- 
pofed.  There  are  probably  many  more  children 
hurt,  and  almo-t  ruined,  by  the  indifcrete  k.indnefs, 
and  exceffive  indulgence,  than  by  the  too  great 
rigor  and  feverity  of  parents  ;  tho*  examples  of  the 
latter  may  not  be  wanting — "  Whom  the  Lord  loveth 

^  he 

*  Eph.  V.   1,  2.  t  John  viiL    31,  32,  36. 


80  PraSiical  Inferences 

"  he  chafteneth,  and  fcourgeth  every  Ton  whom  he 
*c  receiveth  "  And  the  following  counfel,  is  that  of 
a  very  tender  father,  as  well  as  the  witeftof  men  and 
Kings,  I  mean  Solomon  :  "Chaften  thy  fon  while  there 
is  hope  -,  and  let  not  thy  foul  fpare  for  his   crying. 


a* 


9.  From  what  has  been  faid  concerning  the  uni- 
verfal  gcodnefs  of  God,  not  only    to  mankind,  but 
even  to  the  inferior  orders  of  creatures,  it  appears  to 
be  unreaibnable  and  finful,  and  contrary  to  true  good- 
nefs,    to  exerciie  cruelty  towards  the  animal  creation. 
Thofe  creatures  which   are    adapted  to  human   ufe, 
whether  for  labor,  food,  cloathing,   or  in   any    other 
way,  we  have  indeed  a  right  to  u!e  thus  ;  not  from  the 
mere  light  of  nature,  which  gives  no  fuch  right,  but 
by  the  exprefs  grant  of  God  •,  whofe  are  all  the  fowles 
of  heaven,  the  fifh  of  the  fea,  "  every  bead  of  the 
foreft,  and  the  cattle  upon  a  thoufavd  hills."     (This 
was  one,  tho'  it  is  far  from  being  the  only   end  of 
their  creation  }     And,  from  thole  animals   that  are 
noxious   and  mifchievous   to   us,  we  may    doubtlefs 
defend  ourfelves   even  by  destroying  them,  tho'  they 
fbould  be  of  no  ufe  to  us  afterwards.     But  to  kill  or 
torture  any  of  the  brute-creation,  merely  for  the  fake 
of  deftroying  or  vexing  them  •,  or  even  to  ufe  them 
tjifh  unneedfary  rigor  and  feverity  in  our  fervice,  can- 
not be  juftified  upon  the  principles  of  reafon  and  be- 
nevolence     Solomon  fays,  Ck  a  righteous  man  regard- 
eth  the  life  of  his  bead."     There  have  doubtlefs  been 
many  and  great  immoralities  committed  by  men,   in 
abufmg  the  creatures  of  God,  even  very  inferior  ones. 
There  is  alfo  a  degree  of  impiety  therein.    And  cruelty 
to  thefe  animals,  cannot  but  be  ofTenfive  to  Him  that 
made   them,    their  Lord    and   Proprietor  as  well  as 
ours  ;  and  whofe  "  tender  mercies  are  over  ail  his 
works.* 

jo,  Goe 


and  InJlfuSiions,  St 

10.  God  being  good  and  merciful  to  all  men* 
none,  not  even  the  pooreft,  meaneft  and  lowed  of 
the  human  race,  have  any  ground  to  complain  of,  or  to 
murmur  againft  Him  and  his  providence:  But, on  the 
contrary,  ail  have  reafon  to  be  thankful  for  their  be- 
ing and  pretention  •,  efpecially  when  it  is  confidered, 
that  they  will  be  immortally  happy  in  another  world, 
unlefs  their  own  wickednefs  and  perverfenefs  mould 
deflroy  them. 

ii.  The  greater!  and  happieil  men  in  this  world, 
tho*  they  are  under  fome  peculiar  obligations  to  gra- 
titude,  have  yet  no   right,    no  caufe,  to  defp.fe  the 
-poor  and  low,  or  to  glory  in  themfelves.     Either  of 
thefe  things,  would  be  at  once  foolifh  and   impious. 
He  that  constituted  the  members  in  the  natural  body, 
and  afugned  them  their  refpe:  live  offices  as    pleared 
him  ;  He  that  appointed  the   foot  to    tread   in   the 
duft,  and    to    bear  the  load  of  the  body  \  He    that 
made    the    lead    comely    parts    and  members,     to 
anfwer  valuable  ends,  and  to  participate  in  the  hap- 
pinefs  of  the  body  -,  while  He  made  the  ear  to  hear, 
the  eye  to  fee,  and  the  head  to  direct  and  govern  the 
whole,  has  put  an  honor  upon  them  all  in  their  re- 
fpedtive  places  :  And  neither  of  them  can  fay  to  ano- 
ther,   "  I  have  no  need  of  you."     Thus  -it  is  alfo  in 
the  church,    and  in  the  greater   fociety   of  mankind. 
For  in  both  refpects,  we  are  "  members  one  of  ano- 
ther ;"  and  each,  inch  a  member  as  the  infinitely  wife: 
and  good  Author  of  the  whole,  pleafed  to  make  him. 
What  ground  is  there  then,  for  glorying  or  defpifmg  ? 
For  <c  what   halt  thou,  O  man,  that  thou  didfl   noc 
receive  !" 

12.  It  is  at  once  the  bafeft  ingratitude,  and  the 
great,  ft  folly,  not  to  love  and  obey  the  blerTeci  God  j 
lb  good,  merciful  and  tender  a  Father.     0  ungrate- 

L  ful 


82  PraSlical  Inferences 

ful  and  degenerate  children  of  the  mod  High  !  Foi* 
you  are  ftill  his  offspring,  tho5  you  have  forgotten 
your  Father,  and  "  lightly  efteemed  the  rock  of  your 
falvation."  In  this  refpect  wicked  men  are  not  lefs 
imprudent,  thandinfigenuous.  To  difobey  the  holy, 
juft  and  good  commandments  of  Gud,  which  are  in 
their  very  nature  adapted  to  promote  your  happi- 
nefs,  is  to  bring  mifchief  on  yourfelves.  Such  a  con- 
duct, if  continued  in,  cannot  but  end  in  your  ruin, 
even  without  the  confideration  of  that  future  punifh- 
ment,  which  God  has  exprefly  threatned  as  the  re- 
ward of  unrighteoufnefs.  There  is  no  fubflantial 
happinefs,  but  in  God,  in  knowing  and  doing  his 
will.  They  that  are  far  from  him,  the  fountain  of 
light,  life  and  joy, — that  refufe  to  return  to  him,  and 
to  walk  in  his  righteous  ways,  mult  needs  perifh. 

13.  What  great  encouragement  does  the  confi- 
deration of  God's  goodnefs  afford  to  fmners,  to  con- 
fefs  and  forfake  their  fins  ?  to  "arife  and  go  to  their 
Father "  ?  Efpecially,  what  encouragement  does  this 
afford,  when  the  goodnefs  of  God  is  confidered  as  it 
is  manifefted  in  the  gofpel  of  Chrift  ;  who  appeared 
to  "  take  away  the  fins  of  the  world,"  and  whole  pro-' 
feffed  defign  in  coming  into  it,  was  to  "  feek  and  to 
fave  that  which  was  loft  ?"  Can  you  pofiibly  doubt 
of  a  kind  reception,  or  a  gracious  pardon  from  Him, 
who  is  not  only  in  general  declared  to  be  good  and 
merciful  to  all  \  but  who  has  "  fo  loved  the  world, 
as  to  give  his  only  begotten  Son"  to  fave  it  !  Confider 
the  parables  of  the  prodigal  Ion,  of  the  left  fieep,  and 
of  the  loft  piece  of  money \  in  the  gofpel  :  They  will 
all  fhew  you,  that  it  is  not  the  will  of  your  Father, 
that  any  of  you  fhould  perifh  ;  but  that  he  "  would 
have  all  men  to  be  faved."  The  gofpel  makes  no 
exception.  It  affords  an  adequate  relief  to  all,  and 
is  "  the  power  of  God  unto  falvation3  to  every  one 

thai; 


and  InfturSliom.  §3 

that  believeth"  with  all  his  heart.  The  greatnefs  of 
your  pad  fins,  will  be  no  objection  againftyour  being 
accepted  in  Chrift,  if  you  come  unto  God  by  him. 
God  expects  no  righteoufneis  in  or  of  you,  in  order 
to  your  being  forgiven  of  Him  •,  but  only  a  truly 
penitent  and  humble  fenfe  of  your  unrighteoufnefsy  and 
an  hearty  confent  to  receive  "  eternal  life  as  his  gift, 
thro'  Jelus  Chrift  our  Lord." — "  Ho,  every  One  that 
4i  thirfteth,  [then]  come  ye  to  the  waters,  and  he 
"  that  hath  no  money  •,  come  ye — without  money 
"  and  without  price — Incline  your  ear,  (faith  the 
"  Lord  of  life,)  and  come  unto  me:  Hear,  and 
"   your  foul  mail  live."  *—      But, 

L  2  14.  If 

*  Ifai.  LV.  1,3.  There  is  an  expreflion  in  the  learned  Mr. 
Calvin's  commentary  upon  my  text,  which  feems  juftly 
exceptionable,  as  conveying  an  ilea  contrary  to  what  is 
molt clearly  revealed  in  the  holy  fcriptures;  andfetting  un- 
warrantable bounds  to  the  grace,  and  pardoning  mercy 
of  God.  Let  the  reader  judge— "  Quamvis  ergo  pecca- 
4C  tcrum  remimo  thefaurus  fit  claufus  reprobis,  non  tamen 
<i  Deum  impeditipforum  malitia  et  pravitas,  quo  minus  in 
**  eos  quoque  bonitatem  effundat  Deus  ;  fed  quam  fine 
«  fenfu  devorant."  In  Englifli — Altho',  therefore,  the 
remimon  of  fins  is  a  treafure  jhut  up  from  the  repro- 
bate, yet  their  malice  and  wickednefs  does  not 
prevent  God's  fhowering  down  goodnefs  upon  them 
alio  ;  but  which  they  devour  without  fenfe  or  confide- 
ration. 

If  by  the  reprobatey  the  learned  author  had  here  meant  only 
wicked  and  ungodly  men,  confidered  as  fuch  ;  and  if  by 
the  remijfion  of  fins  being  a  treafure  fiut  up,  or  clofely  locked 
with  refpecl:  to  them,  he  had  intended  no  more,  than  that 
it  was  inacceilible  or  unattainable  by  them,  while  hardened 
in  their  fins  ;  this  would  have  been  quite  unexceptionable, 
and  perfectly  agreeable  to  fcripture.  But  the  words  natu- 
rally convey  a  different  idea  ;  viz.  That  there  are  many 
perfons  who,  by  a  fuppofed  eternal  decree  of  reprobation, 
are  abfolutely  excluded  from  the  benefit  of  pardon,  or  the 
grace  of  God  revealed  to  the  world,     This  was  the  known 

opiaica 


84  PraSiical  Inferences 

14.  If,  in  reading  the  holy  fcriptures,  we  friould 
find  any  representations  or  expreftiois  relative  to  the 
divine  conduct,  which  feem  at   firft  view  to  militate 
againft  the  infinite   goodnefs  and  mercy  of  God,  we 
fliould  not  too  readily  admit  them  in  that  feemingly 
havih  fenfe  :  I  mean,  not  till  we  have  well  examined 
them,  compared  them  with  other  parts  of  fcripture, 
and  find  that  they  will  not  bear  any  oher  con  ft  ructi- 
on without  maniivft  force   and  violence.     There  is 
nothing  fo  frequently  and  clearly   declared  in  fcrip- 
ture,  as  the  perfect,    univerfal  goad nek  and  mercy 
of  God.     Th-s  is  a  doctrine  infinitely  precious   and 
important,  and  to  which  we  mult  always  adhere,  as 
our  Hi eet- anchor,    whatever   becomes  of  any  com- 
monly-received  opinions    which    interfere   with   it. 
To  let  fome  obicure  expreftions  which  ieidom  occur, 
lead  in  the  interpretation  of  fcripture,  as  if  they  were 
prime,  fundamental   articles ;  inftead  of  clear  ones 
which  occur  almoft  in  every  page  of  the  bible,  is  the 
nioft  unnatural  and  prepoiterous  thing  in  the  world  ; 
a  common  wrror,  of  the  moft  pernicious  coniequence. 
This  is  moreabfurd  than  for  the  "  blind  to  be  leaders 
cf  the  blind  :  ?'  It  is  like  the  blind  leading  thofe  that 
have  their  eyes  cpen9  and  that  fee  clearly — But,  on  the 
prher  hand,  we  ought  to  be  very  cautious  left  we  re- 
ject any  doctrine  really  revealed  in  fcripture,  under 

a 

opinion  of  that  learned  man  :  A  fentiment,  at  once  un- 
fupported  by  rcafon  or  fcripture  ;  nay,  contrary  to  both  » 
highly  derogatory  to  the  goodnefs  and  grace  of  God," 
and  of  dangerous  tendency.  Nor  is  it  a  little  Grange, 
that  fuch  a  fentiment  mould  be  found  in  a  commentary 
upon  words,  which  fo  ftrongly  exprefs  the  univerfal  good- 
nefs and  tender  mercies  of  God,  as  thofe  of  the  text 
do  :  Efpecially  confidering  the  words  immediately  pre- 
ceeding, — viz.  "The  Lord  is  gracious  and  full  of 
4C  compaffton^  flow  to  anger,  and  of  great  mercy."  And 
it  plainly  appears  that  the  learned  man  had  thefe  very 
words  in  his  mind,  when  he  v/rote — "  Pcccatorum  remijfio 
thefaurus  eji  cl:yfusi\£.vxoBls  1  " — Pardon,  atreafure  locked 
up  againft  millions,  in  the  decree  ofabfolute  reprobation  /■*— 


and  InftruElions.  85 

a  falfe  pretence  that  it  contradicts  the  goodnefs  of 
God,  with  which  it  is  confident.     Our  not  well  know- 
ing how  to  reconcile  it  therewith,  is  no  certain  proof 
in  all  cafes,  that  it  is  irreconcileable.    For  we  muft  be 
vain   indeed,    or     allow    ourfelves  to  be   very    im- 
perfect  and  fhort-fighted  creatures.     However,  it  is 
not  my  intention  here,  to  make  a  retreat  into   total 
darknefs,  or  to  refolve  every  thing  into  myftery,  and 
humaO  ignorance  ;  as  if  men  were  incapable  judges 
of  goodnels,  juitice  and  mercy  in   any  cafe  :  \Vhich 
is  the  fhameful  method  that  many  have  taken  to  get 
over  all  difficulties,  and  toanfwerall  objections againft 
their  unfcriptural,  abfurd  and  blafphemous  doctrines. 
We  may  be  altogether  as  certain  that  fome  doctrines 
fathered  upon  the  fcriptures,  arecontrary  to  them,  and 
inconfiftent  with   mercy,  goodnefs  and  juftice,  as  we 
can  poflibl-y  be,thatany  others  are  confonant  to  them  \ 
or,  indeed,  that  there  is  in  nature  any  fjch  thing  as 
goodnefs,  juftice  or  mercy.        -  ~ 

15.  If,  therefore,  my  brethren,  you  know  of  any 
particular fcheme  orfyftem  of  cluiftianity  (fo  called), 
two  or  three  of  the  moll  diftinguifhing  and   leading 
principles  of  which,  and  the  bafis  on  which  the  whole 
nth,  are  plainly  and  certainly  repugnant  to  the  doct- 
rine of  God's  univerfai  goodnefs,  and  his  tender  mer- 
cies over  all  his  works  ;  you  may  be  certain  that-fuch 
fcheme  oriyilem  is  falfe  \ — abfolutely  and  wholly  falfe, 
io  far  as  it  has  any  connexion  with,   or  dependence 
upon,  thofe  leading,  fundamental  &  mod  diftinguifh- 
ing  principles.     Let  me  add,  that  if  the  fautors   and 
afferters  of  fuch  a  fuppofed  fyftem,  mould  cry  it  up 
as  peculiarly  the  doctrine  of  evangelical  grace,  and 
as  tending  to  give  us  exalted  ideas  of  the  goodnefs 
and  mercy  of  God,  in    contradistinction  to  all  other 
fyftems  ;  it  would  only  make  the  matter  fo  much  the 
warfe  :  h  would  be  fo  much  the   more  impious  •, 

the 


86  PraElkal  Inferences 

the  greater  abufe  of  the  holy  fcriptures,  and 
an  iniuk  upon  the  common  fenfe  of  mankind.  If 
you  know  of  no  Juch  fcheme  as  is  here  fuppofed,  then 
be  fo  kind  as  to  let  thefe  remarks  pafs  for  nothing. — 
But  if  you  do  ;  yet  remember  that  human  nature  is 
frail  and  fallible  ;  and  that  men  may  have  upiigh; 
hearts,  while  they  have  very  wrong  and  pernicious 
notions  in  their  heads  :  So  that  there  is  an  evident 
call  for  mutual  candor,  forbearance  and  charity,  be- 
twixt thofe  that  differ  even  widely  in  opinion  ;  that 
they  may,  if  pofiible,  "  keep  the  unity  of  the  fpirit 
in  the  bond  of  peace." 

1 6.  Let  me,  in  the  next  place,  caution  wicked 
men  againft  abufing  the  fcripture-doclrine  of  God's 
goodneis  ;  (for  there  is  very  little  danger  that  any 
others  will  do  fo.)  Do  any  imagine  that  they  are 
fafe  in  their  evil  courfes,  becaufe  God  is  good  and 
merciful  ?  That  were  a  vain  imagination  ;  fince  thofe 
courfes, in  their  own  nature,  tend  to  mifery  and  ruin, 
as  was  intimated  before.  Bur,  perhaps,  you  fat- 
ter yourfelves,  that  however' you  may  break  God's 
commandments,  yet  He  will  not  pir.ijh  you  in  ano- 
ther world,  if  he  is  infinitely  good  and  merciful ;  but,, 
at  the  word,  leave  you  to  take  the  natural  confequence 
of  your  evil  doings.  This  would  be  an  equally  faife 
and  groundlefs  inference  ;  tho'  even  that,  would  be 
ruinous  and  fatal.  But  God  has  eflablimed  a  moral 
government  in  the  univerfe,  as  belt  adapted  to  pro- 
mote his  own  glory,  and  the  common  felicity  of  his. 
intelligent  creatures.  And  fuch  a  kind  of  govern- 
ment,  in  its  very  nature,  fuppofes  that  the  obftinateiy 
wicked  and  impenitent  under  it.  mail  be  punifhed  by 
Him,  astheLordand  Judge  of  all  :  And  is  it  not  de- 
clared, that  at  the  great  day,  the  wicked  mail  "  goa- 
wayiinoeverlafting^a/z/yta^/,  "in  the  ip\3.ce"prepared 
for  the  devil  and  his  angels  !"  In  fhort,  the  certainty 

of 


and  InJlruSlions.  87 

of  your  ptinimment,  if  you  perfevere  in  breaking 
God's  commandments,  may  be  clearly  inftr'd  from 
his  goodnefs  itfelf ;  fo  far  is  that  from  beingany  fort 
of  fecurity  to  you  !  Again  :  Do  any  of  you  rely 
upon  the  divine  goodnefs  and  mercy,  not  in  the 
practice  of  grofe  immoralities,  but  in  the  practice  of 
your  fuppofed  duties,  and  moral  virtues,  while  you 
reject  the  gofpel  of  Chrid,  or  that  method  of  falvation 
which  isx  revealed  therein  ?  This  is  alfo  a  groundlefs 
prefumpticn,  unlefs  you  can  plead  a  finlefs  innocence 
and  perfection  ;  to  which  you  will  not  pretend. 
What  !  will  you  rely  on  the  goodnefs  and  mercy  of 
God,  while  you  defpife  his  truth  fufHciently  attefted, 
and  clearly  proved  to  be  fuch  ? — while  you  tread 
under  foot  his  Son  .from  heaven,  who  came  to  re- 
deem you  ;  and  refill  his  Spirit  !  To  do  thus,  is 
actually  renouncing  that  very  goodnefs,  and  thofe 
tender  mercies,  on  which  you.  pretend  to  rely.  Will 
you  rely  on  the  mercy  of  God,  while  you  continue 
in  that  impenitence  and  unbelief,  which  God  himfelf 
has  declared  fliall  terminate  in  ruin  and  perdition  ? 
How  abfurd  were  this !  It  is  the  g-eateft  prefumption 
and  madnefs  for  any,  to  whom  the  gofpel  is  preached, 
to  rely  on  the  mercy  of  God  in  any  other  way,  courfe 
or  practice,  than  that  which  God  Himfelf  has  marked 
out.  To  depend  upon  it  in  any  other  way,  is  at 
once  abfard  &  impious;  this  being,iuefTcct,"  making 
God  a  liar  •,  "  and  affuming  to  yourfelves  a  right 
of  prefcribing  to  the  Almighty,  what  channel  his 
goodntfs  and  mercy  mall  flow  in,  even  contrary  to 
his  own  declared  will  and  purpofc  ! — Know,  that  the 
counfel  of  God  fhali  {land  ;  and  Hand  more  immuta- 
ble than  the  foundations  of  the  earrh,  or  the  pillars 
of  heaven,  with  whatever  prelum pruous  hopes  vain 
men  may  amufe  and  deceive  themfelves  !  And  if  he 
that  defpifed  even  Mofes's  law,  died  without  mercy,  of 
how  much  forer  punifnment  fuppofe  ye  ! — But  I  for- 
bear 5 


8  8  PraSiical  Inferences 

bear  ;  remembering  that  inflicting  terrible  punifh- 
ments,  is  fpoken  of  in  fcripture  as  God's  ftrange  work  ; 
and  therefore,  certainly,  not  be  made  the  theme  of 
common  declamation,  as  it  is  by  many.  There  would  be 
a  peculiar  impropriety  in  infift.ing  long  upon  it  in  a 
difconrfe  on  the  goodnefs  and  tender  mercies  of  God. 
But  yet  there  feemed  to  be  a  necefiity  of  faying  fome- 
thing  upon  this  point,  by  way  of  warning  to  wicked 
men,  who  fo  grofly  abufe  that  very  goodnefs  on 
which  they  prefume.  Let  the  wicked  therefore  for- 
fake  his  way,  and  return  unto  the  Lord,  that  he  may 
have  mercy  upon  him  ;  and  to  our  God,  for  he  will 
then  abundantly  pardon,  thro'  jefus  Chrift  •,  whom 
he  hath  "  fet  forth  to  be  a  propitiation,  thro'  faith  in  his 
"  blood,  to  declare  his  righteoufnefs  for  the  re  million 
"  of  fins  that  are  paft,  thro'  the  forbearance  of  God." 

17.  What  folid  ground  have  thofe  that  love  God, 
and  fincerely  do  his  commandments,  for  hope,   and 
intire   confidence    in    him  ?  Is  it  pofiible  for  you, 
my  brethren,  who  do  thus,  to  doubt  of  his  love  to 
you  ? — What  !  a  fin  cere  believer  in  Jefus  Chrift,  and 
the  promifes  of  the  gofpel,— a  truly  good  man,  doubt 
the  love  and  care  of  Him,  who  is  good  to  all,  and 
whofe   tender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works  ? — of 
Him,  who  is  good  even  to  the  evil  and  unthankful  ! 
This  is  a  kind  of  paradox  :  But  yet  it  is  not   an  ab- 
solute impoflibility.     And  if  you  mould,  in  any  mea- 
fure,  diftruft  the  particular  kindnefs  and  love  of  God 
to  you,  let  the  following  paffages  in  our  Saviour's 
difcourfes,   infpiro  you  with  a  firm,  and  truly  filial 
confidence  in  Him — "  Behold  the  fovviesof  the  air  ; 
"  for  they  low  not,  neither  do  they  reap,  nor  gather 
"into   barns  :  Yet   your    heavenly  Father  feedeth 
"  them.     Are  not  ye  much  better  than  they  ?"  *  And 
gain  :   "  Are  not  five  fparrows  fold  for  two  farthings  ? 
"  and  not  one  of  them  is  forgotten  before  God.     But 

44  the 
*  Matth,  Chap'.  VL 


and  Inftru&ions.  89 

55  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered.     Fear 
**  not  therefore  ;  ye   are  of  more  value   than  many 


PARROWS."  * 


18.  The   confederation   of    God's   goodnefs   and 
mercy,  particularly  as   mahifefted  in   the  holy  fcrip- 
tures,  in  the  redemption  of  the  world  by  Chnft,  na- 
turally fuggefb  very  plealing  hopes,  and  a  glorious 
profpeel,  with  reference  to  the  conclufion,  or  final  re- 
fult   of  that  moft  wonderful  iriterjDofition   of  grace. 
It  cannot    be  denied,  that   ever  fince   the   apcilacy 
of  our   firft   parents,    there  have    been,    and    flill 
are,    fDtne    things  of  a   dark    and   gloomy  appear- 
ance, when  considered  by  themfeives.— So  much  folly, 
fuperflition  and  wicked  nefs    there   is,  "  in  this  pre- 
fent  evil  world  !"-— But  when  we  confider  the  declared 
end   of    Chrifl's    manifeftation    in    the  flefli,- —  to 
g»ve  his  life  a  ranfom  for  all,  and  to  deflroy  the  works 
of  the  devil  :  When  we  confider  the  numerous  pro- 
phecies reflecting  the  deftructioii  of  fin  and  death, 
and  the  future  glory  of  ChrifYs  kingdom  on  earth  : 
When  we  confider,  that  he   muft   reign  tiii  he  hath 
put  all  enemies  under  his  feet,  the  latt  of  v/hich   is 
death  ;  and  till  he  hath  fubdued  all  things  un- 
to himfelf  :  When  we  reflect,  that  according  to  the 
apoftle  Paul,  where  fin  has   abounded,  grace  does 
much  more  abound  ;    and   that   the    fame  creature 
[or  creation]  which  was  originally   made   fubje6fc  to 
vanity,  is  to   be  delivered    from  the  bondage  of  cor- 
ruption, into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the   children   of 
God  :  When  we  confider  the  parallel  which  is  infli- 
tuted  and  carried  on  by  the  fame  apoltle,  betwixt  the 
firft  and  fecond  Adam,  in  his  epiflle  to  the  Romans  ; 
and  hisexprefs  alTertion  in  another,  that  Cfc  as  in  Adam 
all  die,  even  fo  in  Chrift  fhall  all  be  made  alive  ;   but 
every  man  in  his  own  trier  :"  *     In  a  word,  when  we 
duly  confider  that  there  is  a  certain  "reflitution  of  all 

M  "   THINGS, 

?  Luke  Chap.  XII.  f  1  Cor.  XV.  22,  23. 


90  PraSikal  Inferences 

€C  THiNGS,fpoken  of  by  the  mouth  of  all  the  holy  pr©~ 
cc  phets  fince  the  world  began  :"  When  we  duly  con- 
fider  thefe  things,  1  lay,  light  and  comfort  ariie  out 
of  darknefs  and  forrow.     .And  we  may,  without  the 
lead  preemption,  conclude   in   general  that,  in  the 
revolution  of  ages,  lbmething  far  more  grand,  impor- 
tant and  glorious  than  any  thing  which   is  vulgarly 
imagined,  mail  actually  be  the  refult  of  Chrift's  com- 
ing down  from  heaven  to  die  on  a  crofs,  of  his  refur- 
rection  from  the  dead,  and  of  his  being  crowned  with 
glory  and  honor,  as  Lord  both  of  the  dead  and  of  the 
Irving. — The   word   of  God,    and    his    mercy,    en- 
dure  for  ever  :  Nor  will    he  leave  any  thing  which 
is  truly  his  own  work,  unfinished. — u  As  the  heavens 
4C  are  higher  than  the  earth,55  faith  the  Lord,  "  fo  are 
"  my  ways  higher  than  your  ways ;  and  my  thoughts 
6C  than  your  thoughts — My  word — that  goeth  forth 
*■*  out  of  my  mouth* — fhall  not  return  unto  me  void, 
"  but  it  (hall  accomplim  that  which  1  pleafe  ;  and  it 
f  {hall pro/per  in  the  thing  whereto  Ifent  it."* 

To  conclude  then  :  Let  us  all,  young  men  and 
maidens,  old  men  and  children,  love  ancj  honor,  ex- 
tol and  obey  the  God  and  Father  of  all,  whole  tender 
mercies  are  over  all  his  works  ;  and  who  has  been 
fp  gracious  and  bountiful  to  ourfelves  in  particular. 
If  we  fincerely  do  thus,  as  becometh  the  children  of 
the  Higheft,  \ve  (hall,  in  due  time,  partake  of  his 
goodnefs  in  a  far  more  glorious  manner  &  meafure, 
than  we  can  in  the  earthly  houfe  of  this  taberna- 
cle. We  fnali  doubtlefs  alfo  have  a  far  more  clear3 
diftincl:  and  perfect  knowledge,  than  we  can  porTibly 
have  at  prefent,of  what  is  intended  in  fome  apparent- 
ly grand  and  fublime,  and  yet  difficult  paflages  in  the 
facred  oracles  •,  particularly  that  of  John  the  Divine, 
with  which  I  clofe  :  "  And  every  creature  which 

"is 

J  JfaL  LV.  9,  ii. 


and  Injiru&ions. 


91 


f?  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under 
"  the  earth,  and  fuch  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all 
Jc  that  are  in  them,  heard  I  faying,  Bieaing,  and 
"  honor,  and  glory,  and  power  be  unto  Him  that 
"  fnteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  fcr 
P  ever  and  ever."  *     Amin  ! 

*  Rev.  V.  13. 

T  H  E    E  N  Z3, 


PSALM    XL.  9- 11, 

IN  full  Affemblies  I  have  told 
Thy  Truth  and  Righteoufnefs  at  large  \ 
Nor  did,  Thou  know'fc,  my  Lips  with-hold 
From  uttering  what  thou  gav'ft  in  Charge  : 
Nor  kept  within  my  Brcaft  connn'd, 
Thy  Faithmlncfs,  and  faving  Grace  ; 
But  preach'd  thy  Love,  for  all  defign'd 
That  all  might  That,  and  Truth  embrace, 
Then  let  thofe  Mercies  I  declar'd 
To  others,  Lord,  extend  to  me  : 
Thy  loving  Kindnefs  my  Reward, 
Thy  Truth  my  fafe  Protection  be  ! 
-  v<--^>^ 


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CORRECTIONS* 


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From 

bottom 

bot. 

margin 

margin 

top 

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bottom 

bot. 


Read 
worlds 
will  take 
LUKE 
Pfalm  CXI. 
than  thofe 
of  reafon, 
being,in  effect, 
a^ain 


K.  B,  Some  lefs  material  errors  are  omitted. 


